Rewrite: The Guardian
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: Rewrite of my original fic, The Guardian, with immense help from Milaya Milen Zeal! Neku/Joshua, Yaoi, Lemons, Partial A/U.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, I decided to seek out Milaya Milen Zeal's help with rewriting this after we finished writing 'Here's Your Nickel Back' chapter 1 together, due to the fact that I KNOW the original The Guardian could have turned out MUCH better. Anyhoo, please enjoy the first chapter of the rewrite! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story & Shixona. Thanks to Milaya Milen Zeal for helping me rewrite this!

The Guardian

Chapter 1

Joshua ran for his life, fleeing down the street as a trio of homophobic thugs pursued him, prepared to beat him to a pulp after discovering he was gay. They had noticed him watching them, and with his almost feminine figure and looks, they had caught on.

"Get back here, you queer!" one of the bastards shouted.

"Take your beating like a man, bitch!" another roared, making Joshua flinch harshly. The silverette dashed past an alleyway, but right after he passed by it, someone or something shot out at the thug in the lead, knocking him out cold on the ground. The shock of the sudden attack caused Joshua to stumble to the ground, and he watched in terror as a young man who appeared to be around his age fought the thugs.

The second thug was still a bit stupefied when his friend hit the dirt like he did, leaving him wide open for the elbow to his gut, followed by a sharp punch to his nose. The third thug had some time to adjust and tried to swing at whoever was there, only for his arm to get snagged, after which he was pulled forward and then punched to his jaw.

As the small group lay there groaning in pain, the assailant regarded the three of them, before turning to Joshua.

"…Yoshiya Kiryu?"

"H…how do you know my name?" the silverette stuttered, watching the redhead nervously. The fact that this stranger had easily taken out the thugs meant Joshua could be in real trouble. The other man regarded Joshua for a moment more, before he stepped closer. Before Joshua could try to get away, though, a hand was held out to him.

"My name is Neku Sakuraba," he said, keeping his hand out to Joshua, "As of today, I am your Guardian Angel."

Joshua tentatively accepted the offered hand. "Wh…what? But…how do I even DESERVE a Guardian Angel?" he frowned, bewildered. He lowered his gaze to the sidewalk as he next spoke. "I'm too pathetic and unimportant to deserve one…"

"…And yet here I am. Even if you do not believe yourself to be important, I was sent here to protect you," Neku said. When he noticed that Joshua still seemed uncertain, Neku frowned in thought, before an idea came to him. "Come this way," he said, as he stepped backward into the alley he had just vacated. Hesitantly, the silverette did as told, following Neku into the alley. He was still nervous, but who wouldn't be after the years of abuse he'd suffered?

Neku didn't say anything immediately once they both stood in the alley, and instead glanced around, to ensure they were alone. Once he was certain no one was there, he took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. As the air escaped him, a pair of silvery white wings materialized from his back, flapping once to get rid of the kinks.

Joshua's violet eyes widened in shock at the sight. "You really are one…" he breathed. "But…are you sure there isn't some kind of mistake?"

"No," was the immediate response. "I was sent here to protect you. My superiors have deemed you important enough to be worth protecting."

"So, if you're my Guardian Angel, how are you going to protect me at my home? My dad will murder me if I bring someone he doesn't know home!" Joshua exclaimed, beginning to panic.

"I am not," Neku said firmly. But before Joshua could begin to panic, the redhead continued. "And you are not going back there either. Not for long, anyway." Upon the look of confusion, Neku explained, "I was provided an apartment for you. You will be safe there." The smaller teen nodded, but was still worried about being caught by his asshole of a father.

"Neku, right?" he asked. At the redhead's nod, he continued. "Call me Joshua. I guess we'd better go, then, while Dad's drunk enough to sleep, probably…" He started to head to his soon-to-be old home, wondering how this would all work. Neku silently followed after, recalling his wings. He didn't seem to be the slightest bit bothered about what might happen when they reached Joshua's house.

Joshua, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly anxious as they reached his house. "Hide, or else he's gonna know something's up. I'll sneak out the back and meet you there," he told Neku, a pleading note in his voice.

"…" Neku didn't reply right away, but eventually, he nodded. "Fine. Just know…if you take too long, I will come in after you."

"I'll be quick, then," the silverette replied, heading inside. As soon as he closed the door behind him with a soft click, his father's voice yelled at him

"Where the fuck have you been, faggot?!" the drunken man demanded. Joshua winced at the suddenness and the volume of his father's voice, but managed to stutter out a nervous reply.

"I-I was b-being chased again," the teen mumbled.

"Speak up, ya pathetic little fucker!" the older man snarled.

"I was being chased again," Joshua repeated, louder this time. His father nodded, satisfied with his answer, before pointing upstairs.

"Now, go on, you know you're not allowed out of there unless you're in school," his father slurred, and the silverette hastily headed upstairs. He swiftly began to pack what he could and wanted to, and then listened for his father's loud snoring. The bastard was asleep, so Joshua quietly snuck downstairs to the back door in the kitchen, cringing when it gave off those deafening creaks and groans it typically did. Immediately, Joshua froze, terrified.

"Are you about to sneak out on me, boy?" his dad's voice boomed, furious. The drunken man stormed over to Joshua, and struck him across the face, hard. Joshua had no opportunity to fall, though, since he was caught before he could hit the ground and then pulled upright again. And in the next moment, Neku, who'd been the one to catch him, spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick to the much taller man's shoulder.

Joshua watched, stunned that Neku was so powerful. Yes, he'd heard of the strength Guardian Angels had in the fairy tales when he was a little kid, but he had obviously never seen just how strong until now.

Joshua's father bellowed a shout of pain from the kick, but tried to slug Neku anyway. Neku easily ducked under the punch, given that the man's aim was less than perfect, and then kicked out his legs from under him. The drunken bastard fell to the floor, hard, and smacked his head against the hardwood floor, knocking him out cold. Joshua stared at his unconscious father with wide eyes, slowly bringing a hand to the burning mark on his face, where there was sure to be a bruise tomorrow. Tears of pain trickled down his cheeks as well.

"…Joshua."

When Neku called out his name, Joshua looked up. The moment he did, Neku's hand fell over the burning area. His hand gently caressed the area, his thumb running over the skin under his eye.

"…Thank you…" Joshua whispered, leaning into the gentle touch. He hadn't had any positive or gentle contact with anyone since he was six years old, and considering he was now sixteen, that was a long time.

"…You are welcome," Neku said softly, before he removed his hand slowly. "We should go… We have no more reason to be here." The silverette nodded, and grabbed his bag from the floor where he'd dropped it.

"How are we getting there?" he asked the Angel.

"Like this," Neku said simply, right before he literally swept Joshua off his feet. He ignored the startled yelp of the silver-haired teen and instead let out his wings again, before taking to the skies, not even bothering to close the back door of Joshua's old home.

Joshua clung to Neku for dear life as the redhead flew, burying his face in the crook of the Angel's neck. He shivered at the feeling of the cool night air flowing past them, hoping he could warm up soon. How long had it been since he'd slept warmly? Probably back to the short period before his mother died of ovarian cancer.

When Neku noticed the shivering, he immediately held Joshua closer to him. "Bear with it for a while longer…we will be home soon."

Joshua nodded, his heart warming at the thought of being in a REAL home, with someone who actually seemed to care about him.

Just then, Neku descended as suddenly as he took off, landing soundlessly on the roof of an apartment building. After recalling his wings, he finally let Joshua down again. "Here we are."

Joshua looked around, realizing the apartment complex was in one of the nicer neighborhoods in Shibuya. It certainly made him feel better knowing that. The pair headed to the door, where Neku retrieved a key from his pocket. The redhead unlocked the door, and the two entered. The silverette was pleasantly surprised to see the apartment was fully furnished, with a comfortable atmosphere to the entire place.

"This is so inviting…" Joshua murmured, awed.

"Good," Neku said as he slipped off his shoes. "…Are you hungry?"

"Not really…" the smaller teen shrugged, but then his stomach growled, giving him away. He blushed brightly in embarrassment.

"Nice try," Neku mumbled, before gesturing inside. "Just take a seat."

"Sorry, just used to saying that since I don't get much to eat, anyway," the silverette admitted quietly, slipping off his own shoes and sitting at the table.

Neku didn't respond to that verbally, but by the way he was frowning, it was quite clear what he thought. Rather than focus on that, the Angel headed into the kitchen and began pulling out everything he needed.

"Hey, Neku?" Joshua asked softly.

"Yes?"

"Um… Do you…know why I was deemed worthy of a Guardian Angel?"

"…That I do not," Neku said as he set up some pans and starting on cooking. "I was assigned as your Guardian Angel by my superior, and I am in no position to question his orders."

"Oh…" the smaller teen uttered. He then looked at the redhead properly as he added, "You don't have to be so stiff and formal around me, Neku."

At that, Neku looked over from putting some grated potatoes in the frying pan. "…Are you sure you are okay with that?"

"Of course," Joshua smiled slightly. "I'll be honest, it feels weird for you to talk like that."

For a moment, Neku said nothing, before he let out a sharp exhalation. "Urgh… glad to hear THAT… You think it's weird HEARING that? Try having to SPEAK like that all the time…" the redhead grumbled out.

"It does seem rather troublesome," the smaller teen agreed, relaxing.

"Yeah…" Neku mumbled, as he focused back on cooking. Joshua chuckled, and then got up, going over to the Angel to see what he was making.

"What is that?" he inquired curiously when he couldn't tell what it was.

"Just a Swiss potato dish," Neku said as he turned the potatoes, ham and cheese around. "'s just something I picked up somewhere."

"Smells good," the silverette told him softly.

"It'll be done soon," Neku said as he flipped the potatoes again. Joshua nodded in understanding.

"C…Can I help at all?" he questioned timidly.

"It's fine," Neku said solemnly, before he pulled out a pair of plates. Once he had them set up, he divided the potato dish across them and handed the first to Joshua (with a fork). "Here."

"Thank you, Neku," the smaller teen murmured, and waited until the redhead was seated before taking a bite. He immediately moaned at the taste of the food, and then swallowed. "This is delicious!"

Neku chuckled. "Good to know," he chuckled as he began eating as well. Joshua couldn't help but practically devour his meal, he was so hungry. He hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, when he managed to scrounge up a muffin at school. The silverette set down his fork, feeling full for the first time in a long time.

"Better?" Neku asked. He still had half a plate left, but he was eating much slower.

"Much," Joshua smiled. "It's sad to admit this, but it's been far too long since I've felt full."

"Unfortunately…" Neku mumbled around a mouthful of food. After the Angel finished eating, Joshua helped him to clean up, and once they finished, he yawned widely.

"Just go to bed," Neku told him. "I'll clean up here. Bedroom's down the hall to the left."

"M'kay," the silverette nodded, and padded to the bedroom, where it suddenly clicked that they would have to share the bed when he saw there was only one queen-sized bed in there. He gulped nervously, hoping that he wouldn't do anything inappropriate in his sleep. Sure, he had never shared a bed with anyone before, but he hoped Neku would be okay sharing with the gay kid. Sighing nervously, he went in and changed into an old violet t-shirt and a pair of navy blue flannel pajama pants with holes in them. Once he crawled under the covers, he felt himself soon starting to drift off. However, he was soon startled by Neku joining him in the bed, and he jumped a little.

"…? What's wrong?" Neku asked, a hint of worry underlining his voice

"Sorry, just got startled," Joshua admitted softly, rolling to face his Guardian Angel.

Neku hummed softly, before he laid himself down as well. "Just get some rest."

"Okay… Goodnight, Neku," the smaller teen whispered, closing his eyes. Soon after, he fell asleep, his breathing deep and even.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When Joshua woke the next morning, he felt content and warm. It felt so good that he was tempted to go back to sleep, but then he realized that part of the bed was occupied, and that he was curled up rather close against the fellow occupant. His violet eyes snapped open, but all he could see was the pale, muscular chest of his Guardian Angel. Internally, the silverette began to panic. What made him seek comfort in the night like this? He desperately hoped it wasn't a nightmare…

Neku groaned slightly at the motion, before he pulled the shorter male closer, making Joshua aware that the Angel's arms were wrapped around him and keeping him pinned where he was.

Joshua wasn't about to fight it, but he also didn't want Neku to be upset, either. Besides, it would be rude to wake him by freaking out, now wouldn't it? Instead, he remained where he was, quietly studying the redhead's bare chest. Apparently Neku slept shirtless, but Joshua wasn't about to waste the opportunity to admire his Guardian Angel's appearance.

Neku was fairly muscular, despite his slender appearance. His abdomen was toned, and he had some scars here and there on his chest.

"…mmmm…" Neku murmured, before he slowly blinked his eyes open. Joshua looked up at him, blushing faintly with embarrassment, and prayed the redhead wouldn't realize what he'd been doing.

"Good morning, Neku," the silverette murmured.

"…hm?" The redhead blinked slowly as he looked down at Joshua. For a moment, he just looked at him, before he seemed to realize where he was again. "…morning…"

"Did…did I have a nightmare last night?" Joshua asked softly.

"…" Neku regarded Joshua for a moment more, seeming to think on how to answer that one, before he finally nodded his head.

"I'm sorry…" the smaller teen whispered, lowering his gaze.

"What are you apologizing for?" Neku asked calmly. "It's fine already. Don't worry about it."

"Okay…" Joshua nodded shyly. He then stretched out, making his back click audibly before relaxing. "I guess we should get up…"

"Probably," the redhead mumbled as he sat up and climbed out, stretching his arms over his head. Joshua silently admired Neku's body as he stretched, and then sat up.

"What do you want to do today? I don't have school until tomorrow, so…" the silverette said.

"Meaning we'll have to go shopping for some new supplies today," Neku pointed out calmly. Upon the look Joshua gave him, he snorted. "What? You thought I wouldn't notice you not taking ANY of your school supplies with you?" Joshua blushed, embarrassed, and nodded.

"All right… But what about you? What will you do while I'm gone at school?" he asked.

"…are you seriously asking that?" Neku countered. "I'm going with you, of course. How else am I supposed to protect you?" The smaller teen's face burned hotter at the obvious words.

"True," he mumbled, heading to his bag from the night before to get some clothes out.

Neku noticed the expression, of course, but he didn't pay it too much heed. Instead, he headed for the bathroom, snagging the clothes he'd set ready the night before. "Gimme five minutes," he said as he walked into the room. Joshua gave a small sound of acknowledgment, and then started to get dressed once Neku was in the bathroom. Once dressed, he grabbed his wallet, just in case, noticing the pitiful amount of money in it. Hopefully he'd have enough to get new supplies…

Once Neku came out of the bathroom, Joshua looked at him, seeing that he was dressed in a pair of white cargo shorts and a sleeveless purple shirt with a loose, high collar to it. The redhead even had a pair of matching purple headphones around his neck.

"Well, if we want to beat the crowd, we'd best go soon," the smaller teen suggested, but then his stomach growled, and his cheeks burned.

At that sound, Neku chuckled in amusement. "How 'bout we get some food first, eh?"

"Probably a good idea," Joshua admitted, glaring briefly at his stomach for giving him away. The two headed to the kitchen, where the silverette inquired, "Can I help make breakfast at all?"

Neku paused by the fridge, thinking for a moment, before he reached tor the cupboard and pulled out some supplies. "Do you know how to make coffee?"

"Fortunately, yes," the smaller teen smiled, getting out the coffee grounds and a filter for the coffee maker.

"Cool." As Joshua began on that, Neku started set up the frying pan started cooking quietly. Joshua scooped some grounds into the filter, and then set it where it belonged in the coffee maker, filled it with some water, and then started it up.

"What are you making?" he inquired curiously as he watched the Angel.

"Egg on rice," Neku said casually, pointing to the rice cooker he'd set up while Joshua had been busy with the coffee maker.

"Sounds good," Joshua told him, pulling two mugs from the cabinet.

Neku merely hummed, just as the cooker gave a cheery ping. "Aaand looks like it's done." After Neku finished cooking their breakfast, the pair sat down and ate, occasionally sipping at their coffee.

"Thank you, Neku. It's very good," Joshua murmured, smiling shyly at the Angel as he finished.

"No prob," the redhead replied, before he took a quick swig of his drink.

"I guess we'd better make this quick, lest anyone from school knows I'm out…" the silverette sighed, muttering the last part.

"…'out'?" Neku repeated worriedly. "What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

"It's just…almost everyone here in Shibuya is highly homophobic," Joshua began. "I'm one of those that isn't, because I'm gay…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "And I get bullied and ganged up on often at school for it, even if we're not on the school grounds…"

"…" Neku didn't reply immediately to those words. However, after a few moments, his expression darkened considerably. "…what the FUCK?! When did we jump backwards in time where that's not acceptable?! Are you serious?! Urgh…!" The smaller teen jumped at Neku's outburst, but when the words finally registered, he frowned.

"Neku, the last time homosexuality was accepted in Shibuya was a little over a century ago…" he pointed out. "Just how old are you, Neku?"

At that, Neku actually paused. For a moment, he looked up to the ceiling, humming thoughtfully. "…121, if my math's still good." Joshua's eyes widened, shocked, before he relaxed with a relieved sigh.

"Geez, the way you made it sound, I thought you were older," he laughed lightly.

"Yeah, well, I'm old enough to keep having to recalculate when asked about it…" Neku grumbled.

"You don't look a day over eighteen," Joshua chuckled.

"Should be… That's when I bit the dust."

"What? How did you die?" the silverette inquired.

"…" Neku paused, chopsticks halfway up to his mouth, before he set them back down again. For a long time, he just sat there, staring at his food.

"…Neku…?" Joshua murmured, hoping he hadn't upset the Angel.

"…my mom was…very sick…deathly so…" Neku murmured, as he poked at his food. "…they said there was nothing they could do to save her…so…" After a moment, of simply breathing, he said, "…I gave up my life to save hers…"

"O…oh…" the smaller teen mumbled. "I'm sorry, Neku…"

Neku took a deep breath, before he let it out and shook his head. "It's fine…" he murmured. "I don't regret making that choice when I did."

"As long as you don't have any regrets, then," Joshua smiled slightly, putting his hand over one of Neku's.

"I don't," Neku confirmed with a small nod. After a moment, though, he exhaled softly. "We should finish up and head out." Joshua nodded, and he got up, putting his dishes away in the dishwasher.

Once Neku was finished eating and had done the same, they slid their shoes on and headed out to the store, locking the apartment up behind them. Joshua walked alongside his Guardian Angel, his anxiety slowly building the closer they got to the large store. Neku didn't seem the least bit concerned, though. He just kept his eyes on the road ahead of him, hands in his pockets as he went.

When they walked inside, the smaller teen almost ducked his head, but managed to refrain from doing so. He grabbed a shopping basket, and the pair began to pick up some supplies for each of them. Out of nowhere, when they were halfway through with their shopping, a voice taunted Joshua.

"Hey, faggot, what are you doing out? Got yourself a boyfriend, huh?" the voice cackled. Joshua looked up fearfully to see one of the head bully's lackeys from school, wearing a cocky smirk as he and three others approached.

"…" Neku regarded the bully silently, his mouth mostly hidden behind his high collar. However, when he smirked, the expression could not be missed in the slightest. "Oh? And why ARE you asking, huh? Jealous?" The bully immediately gaped at Neku, and then scowled.

"Sick-ass fucker! You're both disgusting queers!" he spat, and Joshua lowered his head slightly in shame.

Neku noticed it, of course, but rather than mention it at the moment, he focused on the bully, though he did lightly tap Joshua's hand in a way to comfort him without saying anything. "Uh-huh…really now? That's the most original you've got?"

"Collin, leave them alone!" a new voice snapped. "Is this really the best part of your damn day?" That's when a brunette girl with her hair tied back in a ponytail wearing dark blue jeans, a white camisole, matching dark blue denim jacket, and a black cap with a silver dragon design on it stormed over, hands on her hips as she glared at the group.

"Piss off, Shixona. We already know you're a queer-lover," one of the teens spat.

"So? People used to accept gays! Why is it now a problem?" she demanded.

"Fuck off! This faggot needs to learn his fucking place!" Collin barked, pointing a finger at Neku. Shixona eyed the redhead for a split second before replying.

"I won't stop you this time," she shrugged. And with that said, Collin gave a malicious grin as he approached Neku, right before cocking back his fist and swinging as hard as he could. However, Neku easily spun out of the way, grabbed Collin's sleeve by the wrist and then yanked him forward, making him stumble. And the moment he was unbalanced, Neku's fist collided with his jaw, which sent him skidding along the floor.

"…" After watching Collin for a moment, Neku turned to the other bullies, held up his hands and made a 'come at me' motion, a cocky smirk playing along his face. The remaining trio growled before charging at Neku, fists primed to strike. Joshua watched nervously, glancing at Shixona.

The redhead ducked under the first bully, then snapped his elbow back and into his neck, while punching his free hand into the second's stomach, before throwing him into the last one, throwing them away easily.

Joshua watched as Neku fought the bullies, once again stunned by the Angel's power. Shixona didn't appear too surprised, and she snickered as the idiots got their asses handed to them. When they were all four dealt with, she approached the pair.

"Sorry for intruding like that," she told Neku. "I usually see poor Josh here get picked on at school, and I can hardly ever stop them. My name's Shixona, by the way."

"…" Neku just regarded the girl for a moment, before he nodded. "…Neku."

"Nice to meet you, Neku," Shixona smiled pleasantly. "It's good to know Josh has a Guardian Angel now." At Joshua's startled look, she giggled. "I've always believed in them, and besides, I can see their wings, even when concealed. It's a gift of mine."

"…thought as much. You were looking more over my shoulder than at me back there," Neku pointed out.

"Well, at least no one else noticed how I was looking," she smirked.

"I never knew you could see their wings," Joshua frowned.

"It's not exactly something I let be known by everyone, or they'd think I was crazy," Shixona pointed out. "But let me help you guys finish shopping so you don't have to deal with any more douche bags." Neku merely nodded in thanks, briefly cracking his knuckles as he walked after the others, not even bothering to give the bullies a second glance.

Shixona smiled at Joshua kindly as they walked.

"So, just getting some supplies to get ready for Junior year?" she asked.

"Yeah, kinda have to," the silverette sighed. "Left all of my other stuff at my old house…" As the two of them talked, Neku chose to stay out of it for the time being, instead keeping his focus on the surroundings.

"Well, I'm glad you're doing better now," Shixona told him. Suddenly, she perked up. "Oh! I almost forgot!" The brunette then began digging in her pocket for something, and then pulled whatever it was out with a triumphant noise. "Here! My boyfriend and I can't make it, but I thought I'd offer to see if you want to go see this movie. I've heard it's awesome, but things came up, and we can't go… But anyway, now that you have Neku, I figured I'd offer!" The silverette saw the tickets, surprised she'd want to see Suicide Squad.

"You mean that?" he asked instead.

"Of course! Don't want these babies to go to waste, after all," she laughed. "So no strings attached, here ya go!" She handed the tickets to Joshua, and he smiled at her.

"Thank you, Shixona," he told her. "It'll be nice to get out for once without fear of being attacked."

"Damn straight!" she nodded with a laugh.

"…Don't say that out loud…" Neku mumbled, folding his arms over his chest. "Next thing you know they'll be waiting for us there…"

"Fair enough," Shixona nodded. "But seriously, I want you guys to have fun, okay?" Then her phone started to go off, and she answered it. "Hey, I know you're waiting on me… Sorry! All right, I'm coming, babe." There was an indignant grumble on the other end. "You know I'm just teasing! Okay, okay, I'm coming out now. See you soon." She hung up, and cast the pair an apologetic look. "Sorry, my boyfriend's waiting on me. I'll see you guys at school!" Shixona then left, waving to them as she went.

"…hm. At least I won't have to deal with everyone, then," Neku mumbled softly.

"Yeah, Shixona's a quirky girl, but she's genuine," Joshua smiled, falling into step with Neku after snagging a pack of mechanical pencils and placing it in the shopping basket. "I'm surprised she gave us those tickets, though."

Neku merely shrugged as he put a pack of drawing pencils in the basket. "Some people just enjoy giving to others…"

"True," the silverette agreed. "Wait until you meet her boyfriend, though. He's pretty quiet, but he protects Shixona fiercely, even though she's a good fighter herself."

"Hmhmm…" Neku hummed softly, as he looked around silently. Looking at their basket, Joshua nodded, satisfied.

"Looks like we have everything we need," he remarked. There were several notebooks in there, plus the mechanical pencils, drawing pencils, a sharpener, and some other miscellaneous supplies. "Ready to check out?" he asked the Angel.

"Yeah. Let's go," the redhead said with a nod. When they reached checkout, Joshua started to pull out his wallet, praying that the total wasn't too much, but Neku grabbed the wrist reaching for the leather object. Joshua looked at him curiously.

"Don't worry, I got this," Neku said simply as the cashier rang everything up. Silently, Neku passed her a piece of plastic, which she briefly slid through a slot to the side of her register before passing it back. Joshua blinked, surprised, and then quietly thanked Neku.

"Don't mention it," Neku said as he collected the bag with supplies. "Let's mosey before those jerks decide to wake up…"

"Good idea," Joshua agreed, and the pair left for the apartment. As they walked, Joshua checked out the tickets to see the date on them. "Wait, these tickets Shixona gave us are for tonight, Neku!"

"They are?" Neku leaned over to check the tickets, and then mumbled, "So they are… Geez. What time?"

"Looks like…six tonight," the silverette answered once he looked. "What do you think? Do you want to go?"

"…eh. Why not?" Neku said with a shrug. "Dun remember anyone telling me that wasn't allowed."

"Sounds good," Joshua smiled at the redhead.

A/N: Again, many thanks to Milaya Milen Zeal for helping me with this rewrite! R&R, peeps!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter, despite the drama to come! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story & Shixona. Many thanks to Milaya Milen Zeal for helping rewrite this! Oh, and credit to Jin goes to Milaya!

The Guardian

Chapter 2

Later that day, Joshua and Neku headed to the movies to see Suicide Squad, thanks to Shixona. As they walked, Joshua found himself wanting to hold Neku's hand, but he refrained from doing so. It was strange, how Joshua was already finding the Angel attractive, but it shouldn't have surprised him. After all, in the stories, all Angels are attractive. But regardless, the silverette found himself infatuated with Neku.

By the time Joshua had snapped out of his thoughts, they were at the theater, and Neku bought them some popcorn to share and a couple of sodas.

"Go figure they didn't change THAT…" Neku grumbled softly as he passed Joshua his drink. Upon the curious look, he held up the receipt. "Everything is WAY overpriced here…"

"Hey, at least we didn't have to pay for the tickets, and this is cheaper than a dinner theater," Joshua pointed out. The pair took their seats right behind the handicapped section, giving them a spot to kick their feet up on the bars if they so chose to. "So, Neku, what do you think of Shixona?" Joshua inquired curiously. He was genuinely curious to know if the redhead liked her as a possible friend or not.

"…she seems nice…" Neku murmured with a shrug.

"Yeah, she is," the smaller teen agreed. "She does try to help me when I'm getting bullied at school, but often times some of the others will hold her back so she can't. Once her boyfriend steps in, though, they usually stop because he's so fiercely protective of her."

"I can only imagine…" Neku murmured.

Joshua then decided to ask Neku a question that was bugging him for a bit now, since he did like the redhead. "Neku, have you ever been in a relationship?" he inquired, feeling nervous.

"…Depends, I guess…" Neku murmured. He paused briefly to glance around, making sure there was no one in the immediate vicinity, before he continued. "When I was alive, no…but, yeah, I did have a few after."

Joshua felt his heart nearly sink. "Why did they end?" he asked, hoping he wouldn't be hurt by the answer.

Neku shrugged absently. "We just…didn't match up properly, I suppose. It happens."

"Well, hopefully you'll find the right one," Joshua told him, hoping HE would be the one for Neku. Finally, the lights dimmed, and the movie began to play.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

"That was such a funny movie!" Joshua laughed as they walked home. "Harley Quinn and Diablo were definitely my favorites. Who did you like best, Neku?"

"I'd have to say Deadshot and Killer Croc," Neku said. "I prefer the wise-assery over the insanity, thank you very much."

"Harley was so crazy it was funny, though!" Joshua giggled. "Still, Diablo definitely kicks ass in that skeleton form, though. I'm just upset he died fighting Enchantress's brother." At that, the silverette pouted. "But at least Joker lived to save Harley."

"I still can't get over the fact that we're sympathizing criminals… I wouldn't have expected this to be acceptable like, ever."

"Yeah, well, at least with Diablo, he regretted doing what he did," the smaller teen shrugged. "But you're right, it IS rather strange." By this point, they reached the apartment, with Neku unlocking the door and the two entering. Once the door was shut and locked again, Joshua yawned widely.

"Tired, huh?" Neku chuckled out.

"It's been a long day," Joshua smiled tiredly. He headed to the bedroom, grabbing his pajamas before entering the bathroom to change. As he came out, however, he froze with a blush as he saw Neku removing his shirt, already wearing a pair of flannel pajama bottoms. The redhead's back was to him, mercifully, but Joshua desperately tried to calm his blush regardless. Finally, the silverette managed to climb into bed, successfully keeping his blush hidden from Neku by the comforter. The Angel soon joined him, and Joshua turned his head slightly.

"Goodnight, Neku. Thank you for everything today. I had fun," he whispered.

"…no prob. G'night," Neku murmured softly in return.

And with that said, the pair soon fell asleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

Morning came, and with it, a sense of dread and anxiety. For Joshua, anyway. He was nervous about his first day back to school, even with Neku as his Guardian Angel to protect him. He ate his breakfast that morning slowly, trying not to get sick from his nerves.

"…Josh?" Neku asked after a moment.

"Hmm?" the smaller teen hummed, looking at the redhead.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just nervous about today," the silverette admitted, sighing.

"…Don't be. It'll be fine," Neku said simply.

Joshua took a deep breath, and then nodded. "I trust you," he murmured.

"Good." When they were done, the pair headed off to the school, grabbing their bags on the way out. Surprisingly, they were greeted along the way by a familiar face, plus one Joshua knew, but Neku didn't.

"Hey guys!" Shixona waved in greeting. "Ready for the first day?"

Neku nodded, before looking to the other person there. He was a muscular brunette, and while he was wearing the normal uniform, he wore a collar around his neck with an inverted cross hanging from it. Said male didn't even look up from where he was leaning against the wall, hands in his pockets.

"Jin, say hi already!" Shixona hissed, elbowing her boyfriend in the side lightly.

"Oof!" the brunette groaned, before he shot the girl a glare.

"Be nice," she warned, and looked at the other two. "Sorry, he's not much of a talker. Neku, this is my boyfriend, Jin. He's very loyal to those he cares about. Not that there's very many…"

"We'd best hurry if we want to beat the crowd," Joshua piped up.

"Ah! Good point!" Shixona yelped, and the group walked together to their high school.

Neku hummed a bit in thought as he regarded Jin. The brunette either didn't notice, or he just didn't care. Either were viable options.

"So, what did you do over break, Shixona?" Joshua asked, trying to break the silence.

"Oh, Jin and I went to Shinjuku for a few weeks, and it was amazing! Everything was incredible, even the hotel!" she replied, smiling brightly. "But honestly, it truly was amazing."

"I'm glad you guys had fun," Joshua told her. "Besides, life sucks when we can't get away for a break."

"Very true," she nodded wisely. She then looked at her fellow brunette. "Hey Jin, want to tell Neku about your latest painting project?"

"…why should I?" Jin said simply.

"Because I'm sure he would like to know about your work," she huffed. "After all, he's in art this year, too. He's got all of Joshua's classes, remember?"

"…so?" was Jin's instant response.

Neku merely chuckled softly. "Pleasant, aren't you?"

"…hmph."

"Gods, you're SUCH a hard ass…" Shixona pouted. "Sometimes I wonder why we're dating." She cast Jin a teasing look at that.

"It's just how he is," Joshua chuckled.

"…didn't hear you complaining yesterday," Jin said simply.

Neku blinked a bit at that comment, quirking one eyebrow curiously.

Instantly, Shixona's face erupted in a blush, and she glared at him. "Not in front of our friends!" she hissed. "They don't need to know that!"

"Too late," Joshua sighed, face-palming.

Neku snorted softly, a cheeky smirk on his face. "Really now?"

"…what of it?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Don't start," Shixona growled at Jin. "We don't need you getting in trouble on the first day." That's when they reached the school, and she sighed. "We'll save a spot for you two at lunch, okay?"

"Sounds good. Thanks, Shixona," Joshua nodded, and then he and Neku split off from Shixona and Jin. They made their way to their first class of the day, Math. There they took a couple of seats in the back, where no one could nail them with spit balls. Wise move.

Neku wordlessly hung his bag from the hook to the side of the desk, and then leaned back casually. Joshua did the same, and sat at his desk, pulling out a notebook and a pencil to take notes with. Finally, the bell rang as the rest of the class filed in, followed by their teacher, Sho Minamimoto.

"Oh no…" Joshua whispered.

"Hm?"

"I forgot that Sho is the junior and senior year math teacher, and he's INCREDIBLY strict about his grading," the silverette whimpered. "We'll be screwed if we fall the slightest bit behind."

"…I see…"

Sho gave a toothy grin, and then began going over his class rules.

"No eating in my class, no gum, no passing notes, no phones, no talking, and no cheating on tests!" he snapped, making half of the class, including Joshua, cower in their seats. As for the other half, they merely gave cocky looks, except for Neku. He remained calm in his seat. The redhead didn't move, and instead watched quietly, resting his arms on his desk.

Joshua sighed as he readied himself to take notes, and then the lesson began. Sho practically raced across the board during the lecture, but he did stop at one point due to a cocky student popping a piece of gum in his mouth. Immediately, Sho snarled, "Get out, hectopascal! You're in detention this afternoon!" This made the teen pale, and he gave a reluctant sigh before grabbing his things and stepping into the hallway. He then resumed the lecture until the bell rang. When it did, Joshua sighed in relief, setting his pencil down as he flexed his hand.

"Gods, my hand is cramping from trying to keep up," he mumbled.

"It wasn't that bad," Neku said simply, stuffing his own notebook in his bag.

"Maybe not for you, but for me, yes," Joshua pouted, gathering up his things as well. The pair started to head off to their next class, Psychology, as they talked. As they walked and talked, though, Neku kept a close eye on the surrounding area. Or more specifically the people walking around them.

Out of nowhere, someone stuck their foot out, tripping Joshua. Neku noticed it right on time and managed to catch Joshua before he could hit the floor. Once he was sure he was okay, he snapped his eyes up to the person who'd done that, a dark glare on his face.

"What, are you his bodyguard?" a muscular blonde teen wearing a black beanie with a skull on it sneered.

"Please don't, Beat," Joshua whimpered pleadingly.

"Shut it, faggot!" Beat spat.

"…" Neku didn't say anything for a moment, before he stepped up to Beat. Before the blonde could say or do anything, Neku snapped his hand shut around the taller boy's throat and slammed him to the wall harshly. "Let me tell you something, 'Beat', and I suggest you listen well…" the redhead snarled. "If I EVER catch you anywhere in my vicinity with the intention to intention to hurt him again, you'll be picking up your teeth from every corner of the school building." After saying that, he tightened his grip just slightly to make it somewhat hard to breathe for the blonde. "Are we clear?"

"Bite me, ass-wipe!" Beat snarled, and some of his followers stepped forward to surround the two boys.

"Ooh, tough guy, huh?" Neku murmured—right before he snapped his leg up into Beat's gut. "I do suggest you remember what I said though…" Neku breathed into Beat's ear. "Otherwise you'll be eating through a straw for the rest of your life."

With those words, Neku dropped Beat to the floor and walked to Joshua's side.

Beat's fellow bullies, however, didn't take kindly to their leader's beating. They lunged at Neku, ready to tear him apart. Suddenly, one of them grabbed Joshua, holding a pocket knife to his throat.

"Neku!" Joshua wailed, feeling helpless.

"…!" Neku froze, before he snarled dangerously. "Why you…"

"Take your beating, or he dies!" the bully threatened, but out of nowhere, a furious shout sounded from behind him, right before Shixona, of all people, smashed her fist into the teen's neck, jolting him into letting go of Joshua. The silverette was quick to return to Neku's side, where he watched what happened next.

"That's cruel, to threaten his life!" Shixona spat at the group of bullies as she slammed the knife-wielder onto the floor. "You can be sure the principal is GOING to hear about this!" That made them all pale considerably, and they immediately scattered. Joshua was trembling by this point, terrified that he'd been used as a hostage and nearly killed.

As Beat tried to follow after his flunkies, however, he found himself shoved face first into the wall, arms twisted up into his back.

"…going somewhere, Daisukenojo?" Jin snarled out.

Neku frowned in question at that, but rather than say anything, he wrapped an arm around Joshua's shoulders.

"Yo, don't call me that!" Beat protested in a muffled voice.

"Your ass is going to be expelled for this, you do realize that, right?" Shixona growled. She turned to Joshua and Neku. "Are you okay, Josh?" He nodded shakily, hiding his face in Neku's shoulder for comfort.

"…just go," Jin said to Neku, who nodded and wordlessly guided Joshua away from the scene. Joshua allowed himself to be led away, feeling on the verge of tears.

"It's okay…" Neku murmured, rubbing Joshua's shoulder. "It's over…" The silverette whimpered, nodding against the Angel's shoulder.

"C'mon…we need to get to class…that should get your mind off of what happened…" The smaller teen nodded again, and the pair headed off to class, this time at a slower pace. When they reached their class, the teacher, Koki Kariya, quirked a brow in question. He then looked at his phone, and nodded to himself.

"Sakuraba, Kiryu, head to the principal's office," he said firmly. Neku frowned slightly, before he nodded quietly. Once the pair reached the principal's office, they were met by Shixona and Jin, and none other than Principal Megumi Kitaniji himself.

"So, I understand there's been something going on," he murmured, eyeing the four teens through his shades. "Shixona and Jin have shown me photos of a student with a knife to your throat, Yoshiya." This made the silverette cringe at the memory. "Fortunately, Ms. Shixona did stop him. I assure you, Daisukenojo Bito will be expelled for his actions, as well as his fellow friends. I will not tolerate such acts at my school."

"Th…thank you, Principal Kitaniji…" Joshua stuttered. Neku nodded his thanks as well, reaching out and rubbing the shorter boy's back.

"You boys are excused for the day because of this. There will be no punishment," the principal told them. "I will have Shixona and Jin bring your homework, if any, by your homes later."

"Yes, sir," the silverette mumbled, and he and Neku left, the smaller teen casting Shixona and Jin a grateful look as they passed. Jin merely snorted, not seeming to care much either way. Neku merely smirked with a small shake of his head as he walked away with Joshua. As they walked home, Joshua steadily began to relax.

"Thank gods that's over…" he murmured, leaning slightly into Neku's comforting hold.

"…hmm…"

"Neku? Are you okay?" Joshua asked softly.

"…hmhmm…"

"…Is it because I was almost killed earlier…?" he pressed, knowing the redhead really wasn't okay. "If that's it, it's not your fault…"

"…I could've prevented it…"

"No, Neku, don't feel like that, please?" Joshua pleaded. "It's not your fault, I promise. Besides, you didn't expect something like a knife…" Neku didn't respond, but he did sigh softly. "Neku, I promise, I don't blame you… In fact, I'm glad you were there, because I don't know if I could have held myself together without you…"

Neku paused walking for a moment and just regarded Joshua for a moment. Finally, though, he said, "…thanks…"

"You're welcome. And I really did mean that," Joshua smiled slightly before they continued walking. "Maybe this will mean everyone will back off, unless they want detention with Uzuki Yashiro or expulsion."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Neku mumbled, but he did smirk softly at the concept. Joshua chuckled, and soon, the pair made it home without further incident. Joshua slipped off his shoes, and sat down on the couch, sighing happily.

"Is it bad that I feel most comfortable at home?" he asked, looking at his Guardian Angel as he removed his own shoes.

"I'd be worried if that wasn't the case…" Neku mumbled. "…well, we've got the rest of the day off. What do you want to do?"

"Not really sure… Oh, how about we watch some movies?" the smaller teen suggested. "Shixona once gave me her user and password to her VUDU account, that way I can watch any movies she's bought and digitally downloaded. But now we can use that here."

"…well, it's something, I guess," Neku said with a shrug as he walked over and plopped down on the couch. Joshua set up the TV, and entered Shixona's user and password for VUDU. Once logged in, he gasped excitedly at the sight of one particular movie.

"Awesome! I forgot she had Deadpool on here!" he grinned, and looked at Neku as he selected it. "You're gonna love his smartass personality!"

"…'Deadpool'?" Neku repeated slowly.

"He's a smartass mercenary with an amazing healing factor that prevents him from dying," Joshua explained. "But in all honesty, he's completely hilarious."

"Okay…sure, let's watch it." The silverette clicked play, and they watched the movie, Joshua pretty much laughing his ass off for a majority of it. Despite trying to hide it mostly, Neku couldn't stop himself from laughing, either, often shaking his head at the antics on screen. Joshua was pleased with himself for getting Neku to genuinely laugh, and at some point during the movie, he curled up against the redhead like a kitten. If Neku was aware of this, he certainly didn't show it. Though he did lean back and put his arms over the back of the couch, chuckling at another crazy quip from the movie's titular character. After the movie ended, Joshua was in tears from his laughter, even from the credits.

"I love that movie!" he cackled.

"Heheheh…that was pretty amusing…" Neku agreed.

"I'm glad you liked it, or else I'd have been upset," Joshua giggled, making the threat meaningless.

"Uh-huh…sure," Neku quipped cheekily, as he flicked his finger at Joshua's nose. Joshua squeaked, startled by the action, and then tucked himself into Neku's side again, feeling very cuddly now as compared to earlier. Then the pair's stomachs both growled, signaling they needed food.

"Geez…where does time go?" Neku mumbled, as he sat up straight. At this point he seemed to notice Joshua was up against his side. "…Mind letting me get up?"

"Yeah, sorry!" Joshua squeaked, blushing in embarrassment as he quickly sat up as well. Neku merely chuckled as he stood up and headed for the kitchen to fix some food.

Joshua shook his head, ashamed with himself for cuddling with Neku without knowing if the redhead liked him in that way or not. After all, he was sure Neku had had better looking partners than him... He sighed quietly, and lowered his gaze to the carpeted floor sadly.

"…Oy, Josh! Are you even listening?!"

"Huh?" Joshua uttered, jumping at the sudden call.

"I was asking you if you want teriyaki," Neku said, holding up a pack of said food.

"Oh, um, sure!" the silverette chimed, forcing a smile.

"Cool," Neku said with a nod as he moved to start cooking.

Joshua waited on the couch, now flicking through Shixona's Netflix account at this point to kill time and find something else to watch. And to distract himself from his own invasive and depressing thoughts. Suddenly, there was a snap from in front of him. This made Joshua jump again, startled by the noise.

Neku looked down at him quietly, before he leaned down on his knees. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," the silverette fibbed easily, forcing another smile.

"…" Neku frowned slightly, but he said nothing.

"What?"

"…nothing," Neku sighed, shaking his head before he headed back to the kitchen.

"…sorry…" Joshua whispered as the thoughts of Neku not liking him that way or hating him for being attracted to the Angel swarmed in his mind. Feeling pathetic, Joshua quietly got up and went to the bedroom, locking the door behind himself before crawling on the bed and starting to cry.

Roughly twenty minutes later, around the time Neku finished cooking, there was a knock on the door. "Joshua…?" There was only a sniffle in response. "Joshua…what's wrong?" Neku called out through the door.

"…I'm nothing…" came the muffled reply, voice thick with tears.

"Josh?"

"…I don't deserve anyone…!" Joshua sobbed, pressing his face further into the pillows.

"…Joshua, open up or I'll get in there myself." There was no response, just another pained, heartbroken sob. "…fine." The sound that followed was that of Neku walking away, grumbling something to himself. Joshua remained where he was, sobbing into the pillows, feeling like the loser everyone told him he was.

Just then, the window creaked softly as it was opened, and Neku soundlessly stepped into the room, curling his wings around his shoulders like a cape before he stepped up to the bed. Instead of saying anything, though, he reached out and placed a hand on the silverette's head. Joshua jolted, badly startled by the presence of the Angel in the room with him, but after glancing at Neku briefly, he quickly pressed his tear-streaked face back into the pillows.

"Josh…" Neku murmured, sitting down on the bed. "Hey…c'mon, talk to me…"

"…I know you won't…want to be near me if I tell you…" Joshua whimpered.

"Why do you think that?" Neku said softly, running his hand through Joshua's hair.

"…Because…I…I-I love…you…!" the smaller teen choked out before wailing into the pillows. Neku's hand froze in the shorter teen's hair for a moment. But after a moment, he continued the motion. "…Joshua. Look at me." The silverette shook his head, hunching his shoulders in a pitiful manner. "Joshua…"

Joshua choked out a sob. Neku sighed, shaking his head slowly, before he moved over and laid himself down beside Joshua, moving one of his wings over him quietly. The silverette whimpered pitifully, and then peeked one bloodshot eye at the redhead.

"…Why did you think I'd not want to be near you for that?" Neku asked, running his hand through Joshua's hair still.

"…Because everyone hates…the gay kid…" Joshua hiccupped.

"…I don't hate you, Joshua…" Neku assured him.

Joshua whimpered, turning a bit more to look at Neku with both eyes. "Then…what DO you think of me…?"

"…if you mean to ask 'do I love you'…I'll be honest…I don't know…" However, before Joshua could start to cry, he said, "Yet. Don't get me wrong, Josh; I like you. You're a nice guy and I enjoy being with you, even though me being here is simply because of orders…but I've been in several relations before, as you know. It's…difficult for me to know for sure if I feel love because of it." He paused then to wipe away a few of the tears. "But…if I could actually choose…yeah, I'd like to love you, too."

Joshua let that sink in, before feeling a flare of hope that there was still a chance. He whimpered softly, and then curled himself against the Angel, wrapping his arms around Neku. "I'm sorry…" he whispered repeatedly, burying his face in the redhead's chest.

"Ssssh," Neku shushed him, hugging the silverette close, running his fingers through his hair. "It's okay, sssshh…"

And this was how they remained for the next half hour, until Joshua fell asleep against Neku. He slept for a good hour, until there was a knock on the front door. Neku looked up at the knock, before he slowly got of the bed, dismissing his wings before covering Joshua with the blankets. Once he was sure he was still asleep, he headed for the front door. When the door opened, Shixona was there with Jin.

"Hey Neku," she smiled. "There wasn't any homework for you guys today, but we decided to check on you and Joshua anyway. How is he?"

"He's asleep right now…" Neku murmured. "Been a stressful day."

"I'll bet…" she sighed. "Well, just wanted to check in, but let either Jin or me know if anything comes up, okay?"

"Sure…"

Jin snorted softly, before he mumbled something under his breath.

"Speaking of which," Shixona murmured, rolling her eyes at Jin. "Here's our numbers. Text or call either of us, okay?" She then handed him a couple pieces of paper, labeled with their names and phone numbers.

Neku nodded his thanks. "Thanks. I'll text later so you guys know my number, too."

"Sounds good. See you later, Neku!" Shixona waved, and she and Jin left. Neku watched them go for a moment longer, before he shut the door and headed back inside. Joshua began to wake up as Neku rejoined him, a yawn escaping him as he gazed tiredly at the redhead.

"Hey…feeling better?" Neku asked softly.

"Yeah…" Joshua mumbled, huddling close to his Guardian Angel.

Neku chuckled softly. "As much as I wouldn't mind resting a little longer…I'm willing to bet your stomach wouldn't agree to that."

"Not really…" the smaller teen muttered. "Feels like my stomach is about to eat itself…"

"Heh…well, let's get up and heat up the teriyaki then, ne?"

"Sounds good," Joshua smiled softly, hauling himself out of bed to follow Neku into the kitchen. Thankfully, heating up the teriyaki took only a few minutes, and once their food was done, they took a seat at the dinner table to begin eating.

As they ate, Joshua thought about earlier, and after swallowing a bite, he murmured, "Thank you, Neku…"

Neku looked up curiously, before he seemed to realize what this was about. "You're welcome," he said calmly. Joshua smiled slightly at the Angel, and then returned to his food. Neku allowed a small smile of his own, but he said no more as he finished his own food.

The pair decided, after cleaning up, to watch another movie before bed, seeing as they still had some time. Joshua chose again, picking out Jurassic World from Shixona's VUDU account after switching back. Even though the silverette had already seen it before, he still tensed and squealed at the more intense and dramatic parts. Neku was a little less impressed with the movie. Though there were certainly sections that seemed to interest him, it didn't seem to do much else for him.

Finally, after the movie ended, Joshua yawned, leaning against Neku's shoulder tiredly. "We better…get some sleep…for tomorrow…" he mumbled.

"Yeah, we should," Neku chuckled, standing up and helping Joshua to his feet. "C'mon, before you fall asleep on your feet."

The silverette giggled at the joke, and then stumbled into the bedroom, thankful he was already in his pajamas so he wouldn't have to change again. Falling onto the bed, the smaller teen crawled under the blanket and waited for Neku to join him. Neku merely chuckled as he got himself ready for bed as well, and then settled under the covers as well.

"Goodnight, Neku," Joshua whispered, snuggling close.

"Hmm…g'night," Neku murmured in return, wrapping one arm around the silverette.

A/N: All right, here's the next chapter! Also, I know Joshua is very OOC and he's falling very fast for Neku, but keep this in mind: he's been insulted and called almost every nasty thing in the book since he was a kid. And having Neku, someone who cares about and protects him, in his life is like a breath of pure, fresh air. Anyhoo, R&R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: O_o; This took longer than I expected, but here's the next chapter! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story & Shixona. Credit to Jin goes to Milaya Milen Zeal, as well as all of Neku's portions!

The Guardian

Chapter 3

The next day had Joshua and Neku walking to the school again, meeting up with Shixona and Jin along the way. As they walked, Shixona noticed a slight difference in her friend. She couldn't quite place what it was yet, but she could tell it was something good. Whatever it was, she hoped it either stayed or got better for him. Finally, they reached the imposing building, where the two pairs split off for class. While in Math, Joshua didn't notice, due to writing his notes, but Neku was almost…checking him out.

It was hard to spot, given that Neku's bangs obscured his eyes most of the time if he tilted his head just right, and he used this to his advantage as he bit down on the back of his pen in thought.

Suddenly, the bell rang, and a majority of the class sighed in relief that they didn't have to write Sho's notes again until the next day. Joshua got up from his seat, stuffing his things in his bag before turning to Neku.

"Ready?" he asked his Guardian Angel.

"…Yeah," Neku said with a nod after packing his things, tossing his bag over his shoulder and walking out with Joshua. They made it to Psychology without incident this time, and took their seats in the back just like with Math. Again, it was more notes, but this time, MUCH more lax.

Neku spent most of his time either listening or glancing to Joshua again from under his bangs. He only occasionally wrote some things down in his notebook…though this seemed to be mostly after he had just glanced at Joshua.

Joshua was more focused on Kariya's notes, though, and didn't notice anything abnormal from Neku. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, but didn't answer it. He already knew it was Shixona, but he didn't want to get in trouble.

Neku turned his pen between his fingers, his attention shifting briefly to Joshua's pocket, before he went back to what he was doing. After class ended, they walked to their third class, art, where they met up with Shixona and Jin. When the silverette spotted them, he made a beeline for their table, and sat to her right, and Neku sat by Joshua. Their teacher, Higashizawa, entered the room right as the bell rang, and shut the door, signaling the beginning of class.

"Draw what you please," he rumbled, sitting at his desk. "Just nothing rude or inappropriate."

Shixona was quick to turn to Joshua. "Why didn't you answer my text?" she asked him with a pout.

"I was in class, and I didn't want to get in trouble," he huffed, glaring playfully at her.

"So, are you okay after yesterday's shit that went down?" she inquired, ignoring the look.

"Yeah, better now that Beat and his gang are expelled," he told her. "Thank you for yesterday, by the way."

"No problem! Right, Jin?" the brunette smiled, looking at her boyfriend.

"…hm…" was all the other brunette said in reply, not looking away from his work. Neku merely regarded Jin for a few minutes before he grabbed some paper and began drawing as well. Joshua began to draw like the others, but still conversed with Shixona.

"What did you text me about, anyway?"

"I wanted to know what you guys thought of Deadpool yesterday," she answered as she sketched something out in her sketchbook.

"How did you…?" Joshua frowned.

"It's my VUDU account, remember?" she reminded him with a smirk.

"Valid point," the silverette nodded. "You know I love that movie, though!" Neku didn't seem to pay much attention to the conversation, sketching away quietly.

"I know, but I want to know what Neku thought," the brunette girl replied, looking at said redhead.

"Hm?" At his name, Neku finally looked up. "…Oh, was okay, I suppose," he said with a small shrug, before turning back to his drawing. Shixona pouted at the lackluster response.

"Don't worry, Shixona, he was laughing," Joshua assured her, drawing out the tip of an ear on his paper.

"Okay, good," she smiled. "I remember I even got a laugh out of Jin during the movie. Even if it WAS when Deadpool got shot in the ass…"

"Still funny, though," the smaller teen pointed out.

"Agreed," Shixona giggled, and returned to her own work. The small group continued to work until the bell rang, and when it did, Joshua smiled in satisfaction at his drawing. It was a detailed sketch of a fennec fox with its large, pointed ears up and alert.

"…huh. That's pretty good," Neku said as he looked over.

"Yeah, they're my favorite animals. I'd love to have one as a pet, but I don't think it would do well as a pet," Joshua told him as he closed the sketchbook and tucked it into his bag.

"Why not? I think it's legal to have them as a pet…back when I was, well, you know," Neku said with a small shrug. "I'd have to look in on that."

"I just don't know if it would like being in the cold during the rainy seasons and the winter," the silverette murmured. "After all, they're used to desert climates."

"I suppose…"

"But they're very fun. I've watched some videos of them before, and they're so silly and excitable," Joshua smiled at the Angel. "I still remember seeing a video of one named Eevee running and bouncing around on a couch."

"Oh, I've seen that one!" Shixona chimed in. "Eevee is the cutest!"

"Yeah, she definitely is," the smaller teen agreed with a chuckle.

"Well, Jin and I have a free period now until lunch, what about you guys?" she inquired.

"Same here," Joshua answered.

"Want to go out and snag some lunch from Sunshine? We have the time. It'll be my treat!" the brunette girl suggested.

"Sounds good. What do you think, Neku?" the silverette asked the redhead.

"Heh. Sure, why not? Let's mosey."

"Awesome!" Shixona cheered, and then the group left for Sunshine to eat. As they walked through the hallways, Joshua felt the nasty looks some of the students were giving him and his friends, but he fell into step with Neku, walking close to him so that hopefully they wouldn't try anything. And no one did because of that. Granted, they still received dirty looks, but nobody dared to mess with them. Eventually, they reached Sunshine, and after they ordered and Shixona had paid, they headed to a booth to eat.

"I'll be right back, guys, gotta use the restroom," Shixona said apologetically, and headed off to use the restroom. The other three wait patiently for her in the meantime, and as she started to walk back to their booth, a large, muscular, older teen stopped her.

"Hey sweet thing, wanna join me?" he offered with a leer. The brunette wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"No chance in hell," she snorted, and tried to pass him, but he grabbed her upper arm tightly. "Hey!"

"No one turns me down," he growled. Shixona tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip on her. When she swung a fist at him, however, he grabbed her other arm in a similarly tight grip.

"Let go!" she yelled, quickly gaining Jin's attention. Joshua and Neku looked over as well to see what was going on, and the silverette became scared for his friend's safety. When he saw Jin's face, though, he knew things would be okay.

Jin regarded the teen that had just approached his girlfriend, and, for a moment, he didn't seem to care in the slightest. But after only a few moments, he scoffed icily and stood up, wordlessly walking toward his girlfriend. Joshua noticed Neku starting to get up as well, but he stopped the redhead.

"Just watch," he whispered with a smirk. The larger guy noticed Jin approaching, and glared at him.

"What do you want, loser?" he sneered.

Jin didn't say anything initially, but then he snarled icily, "Is that your hand on my girlfriend?" as his hand curled into a fist, the knuckles cracking menacingly.

"You're her boyfriend? Hah! Piss off, pussy," the other male scoffed. The moment he said that, Jin's hand clamped down on the teen's wrist and squeezed hard enough that his hand instinctively let go, after which Jin spun around and slammed his elbow into his face, throwing him backward. Shixona rubbed at her sore arm where she had been held, knowing there would be a bruise later.

"You little BITCH!" the larger teen roared, clutching his now-bleeding nose with one hand before getting up and storming over to Jin with his other hand curled into a fist, ready to strike. Jin caught the punch before it could hit him, spun around and then hauled the teen over him and then slammed him down into the ground back first. This drew a pained grunt from the jerk, and he went limp on the floor, obviously out cold.

Shixona huffed, and then kicked the dumbass in the groin for good measure before collecting their food and returning to the booth with Jin. Once seated, she smiled softly at her fellow brunette.

"Thanks, Jin," she murmured, kissing his cheek.

"…hm," was the only verbal response her boyfriend gave, though he did nod his head briefly.

"…huh. Impressive," Neku complimented.

"Told ya he's fiercely protective," Joshua chuckled, reaching for his food.

"Damn right he is," Shixona nodded with a laugh, passing everyone's food to them. "Though that asshole's got some strength to him. I'm probably gonna bruise…" she grumbled.

"…ch…should probably stop by the nurse's office before next class, then…" Jin mumbled absently before he took a bite from his burger.

"Nah, it'll be fine. I'll ice it after school," she shrugged, eating a few fries.

"…hmph."

Neku merely chuckled as he took a swig from his milkshake, though he did glance around the restaurant on occasion. The four teens ate in a comfortable quiet, Shixona and Joshua occasionally making idle chit chat, and then Joshua checked the time on his phone.

"Ah, shit!" he yelped.

"What?" Shixona frowned.

"We're gonna be late for fifth period if we don't take the rest of this to go," he answered, getting up and quickly grabbing his trash. Shixona quirked a brow, but looked at her phone for the time, too, and yelped as well.

"Dammit, Uzuki's gonna make us do laps if we're late!" she whined, grabbing her trash, too. The group then gathered their things and headed back to the school, hurrying off to gym. Joshua, Neku, and Jin headed for the boys' locker room, changing into their gym clothes while Shixona did the same in the girls' locker room. When they reunited again, Uzuki was getting ready to call names for attendance. They scrambled to be in line near her, and answered when their names were called. After she finished, Uzuki put her clipboard away.

"Okay, brats! Time to do laps!" she announced, making Joshua and Shixona cringe. Now, even though they could run well, they didn't exactly enjoy it. Neku and Jin didn't seem that bothered by that, as they began to do their laps silently. After ten minutes of this, Uzuki yelled at them to stop, and then told them they would be playing basketball and to divide into two teams. Joshua, Shixona, Neku, and Jin were quick to take one team, and some of their class had to go with them to make it even, based off of the irritated look Uzuki was giving them. She then tossed the basketball to Neku.

"All right, now play!" she shouted, and sat back to watch. Some of the other team immediately ran at the redhead to steal the ball. However, Neku was quick to toss the ball over to Jin, who managed to snag it with ease and immediately began dribbling the ball toward the opposing team's side. Joshua and Shixona followed, keeping their eyes on some of the more aggressive-looking players. They didn't want any of them to try and be rough about stealing the ball, after all.

As one of the other teens rushed at him, Jin tossed the ball over his head, toward Neku, who immediately caught it and rushed along the outer edges of the field before effortlessly dunking the ball. Joshua grinned, pleased that Neku had scored so easily. The other team stole the ball after the redhead had dunked it, and then the chase was on. Sadly, Jin and Neku were considerably faster, and Neku managed to snag the ball mid-dribble, spinning around the other team member, and swiftly tossing it to the nearest of their own team…which was Joshua.

Startled, Joshua acted on instinct, quickly dribbling the ball to the right basket and shooting the ball in perfectly, scoring their team another point. Neku smirked softly, before he swiftly started the chase for the ball again.

"Awesome job, Joshua!" Shixona praised as she ran beside him, catching Jin's pass to her. She was quick to score as well, and the chase started yet again. As the opposing team tried to score, Neku managed to block the shot and ricocheted it toward Jin, who swiftly started back the other way.

Joshua and Shixona followed Jin, and the silverette noticed as a larger teen pursued them, swiftly passing himself and Shixona and charging towards Jin. Shixona growled when she saw this, too, and sped up to catch up to him, slamming the larger teen to the floor.

"Don't you DARE try and tackle him! That's a dirty move!" she yelled at him as he glared at her. Jin snorted as he shot the ball at the hoop. Sadly, it teetered over the edge of the hoop, but before the other team could try to get it, Neku jumped for it and dunked it regardless. With one last glare at the large teen on the floor, Shixona sped after Neku, Joshua not far behind.

Eventually, the game ended when Uzuki called for them to stop and get changed. Joshua smiled at Neku as they headed to the locker room with Jin trailing behind them.

"I'm glad you and Jin are good at this, because Shixona and I would have been screwed without you two," Joshua told him as they walked.

Neku smirked casually as they headed for the showers, not really paying any attention to the angry glares from the opposing team. Joshua was quick to clean himself, just so he wouldn't be accused of anything, even though he only had eyes for Neku. Neku followed shortly after so that Joshua wasn't alone, but Jin chose to take his time. After the three boys were clean, dried, and dressed again, they headed out to see Shixona waiting for them.

"Geez, and I thought girls take longer than guys with getting ready," she teased.

"We're not all fast like you, Shixona," Joshua chuckled.

"Whatever," she giggled. "Now, let's head off to Konishi's class, or she'll put us in detention with Uzuki."

"Fair enough," the silverette nodded, and they left to Science class with Konishi. Neku hummed softly as he walked after the others, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. Jin didn't even say anything; he just walked after with his hands in his pockets. When they reached the classroom, the group sat in the back as usual. Konishi entered the room shortly after, and began to lecture them for their science class. Eventually, once class ended, the four headed out to the hall, where they looked at each other.

"Do you guys have class after this?" Shixona asked.

"No, we have a free period, so we can go home now," Joshua replied.

"Same here! Want to come over to our place? We can play some video games!" she offered.

"What do you think, Neku?" Joshua asked the redhead, looking at him.

"…do we actually have enough time for that?" Neku asked with a small frown. "Let alone, would they let us?"

"We don't normally ask. We just leave by climbing the fence," Shixona told him. "They never see us, and we don't have to ask."

"…I dunno…" Neku murmured, not seeming all that convinced yet.

"Everyone else that has no classes for the day does that same," she assured Neku.

"And I've gone with them before to hang out after classes," Joshua added. "Hence why I was able to avoid my dad some days."

"…alright, fine. But if something goes wrong, blame's on you guys." Shixona and Joshua laughed lightly at the remark, and then the four teens left the school grounds, climbing a fence to get away without being spotted. As they walked to Shixona and Jin's apartment, Joshua wondered what Neku was thinking, especially after what had happened the day before.

But whatever he was thinking, it didn't show on the redhead's face. He just followed after with his hands in his pockets. Once they reached Shixona and Jin's apartment, the group headed inside, Joshua being reminded of the spacious home, and how the two had managed this with their inheritance from their parents' deaths. It just reminded Joshua that he wouldn't gain much when his own dad eventually died, more than likely from a bar fight or from alcohol poisoning, so he'd be more than likely dependant on Neku unless he got a job.

"Well, here we are, home sweet home!" Shixona grinned. "Want anything to drink?"

"I'll take a water, thanks," Joshua murmured, slipping his shoes off and setting his bag by the front door.

"Same here…" Neku said, looking around silently, even as Jin dropped himself on the couch after ditching his shoes.

"Sounds good. Make yourselves at home," she smiled, and grabbed two bottled waters from the fridge. Once she gave them to Joshua and Neku, she curled up on the couch close to Jin while the two guests sat in a couple of arm chairs. "So, Neku, have you played any video games before?"

"A few… Never got too much into 'em…" Neku admitted as he sipped his water.

"Well, in that case, you can either watch or play," she told the Angel. "And if you want, you can certainly join in."

"What game did you have in mind?" Joshua asked her.

"I was thinking a multiplayer, so how about Super Smash Bros. Brawl?" she suggested.

Jin didn't respond verbally to the offer. However, he did smirk a little bit with a soft scoff. Neku noticed, before he snorted. "I'll pass, thanks anyway."

"No worries," Shixona grinned, and then started up the game, passing Joshua and Jin each a GameCube controller. "It's much easier to play like this," she explained to Neku. Once they were at the character selection screen, Shixona chose Kirby, and Joshua chose Pikachu. Jin waited for a moment, before he silently chose to go for Ganondorf. Once they were ready, Shixona quickly chose the Pokémon Stadium 2 arena.

When the fight began, she was quick to use Kirby to suck Pikachu up and copy his ability. When Pikachu recovered, he drew down a Thunder attack to electrocute Kirby and Ganondorf. Ganondorf, however, jumped back and out of the way, and during the brief moment that Pikachu was recovering, punched Pikachu halfway across the map. Joshua narrowed his eyes, and then had Pikachu prepare to use a Skull Bash attack on Ganondorf.

Ganondorf barely dodged the attack, before stomping down on the Pikachu and then kicking him away. In the meantime, Kirby swung his hammer right at Ganondorf while his back was turned, smashing him off the stage while Pikachu got back up. Jin snorted as he had Ganondorf use an uppercut to grab the ledge and climb back up, smacking Kirby to its face as he did.

Neku merely sat there and watched silently as the fight continued, before he glanced to Joshua. Feeling the redhead's gaze on him, Joshua looked at him, noticing that Neku seemed to look like he was left out. Frowning in concern, the silverette then looked at Shixona and Jin.

"Hey, do you guys mind if we head out, actually? I'm not really feeling it today…" he sighed, and Shixona paused the game.

"Are you sure?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, it's fine. We'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?" he smiled slightly, and got up from his seat. "Thanks for having us over for a bit, though."

"Of course! Feel better, okay?" the brunette girl told him, and Joshua nodded. Joshua and Neku slipped their shoes on and grabbed their bags before leaving, bidding their friends farewell as they left. The pair walked home in silence, and once they reached their apartment and were inside, Joshua turned to Neku as he took off his shoes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worried about the Angel.

"…I'm fine," Neku murmured softly.

"No, you're not," Joshua sighed. "Neku, tell me what's going on, please? I care about you, I really do…"

"…" The Angel didn't reply immediately, as he merely stared ahead of him silently for a few moments. But, finally, he sighed softly as he turned to regard Joshua. "…Joshua… Do you even **need** me here…?" The silverette nearly whimpered at what Neku was saying.

"Neku… I never even thought I deserved a Guardian Angel, let alone thought I would get one…" Joshua whispered, tearing up. "Having you in my life has made me so much happier… But as they say, 'If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it doesn't, then it was never meant to be.' Do you just want to leave, Neku?"

"No! No, absolutely not! That's not…" He paused to take a breather. "Ugh, look; of COURSE I don't want to leave, but…" Neku sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Just…with Shix and Jin…it gives the impression that I'm…not needed…"

"Neku, I DO need you…" Joshua mumbled, hugging the Angel. "I understand what you're saying, I really do… Just…I don't think I would be able to handle it if you did end up leaving…" Neku tensed in surprise, before he brought his arms around Joshua as well. "I told you already, I love you," the smaller teen breathed, shuddering as a sob escaped him. "I couldn't handle it if you did leave…"

"I'm not leaving… I promise, I'm not leaving…" Neku assured him softly. Joshua whimpered against the Angel, clinging to him desperately. "Sssshh…it's okay…it's okay…" Joshua took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm himself down as he inhaled Neku's soothing scent.

Neku continued to shush the shorter male, running a hand through his hair. "…c'mon…let's get something to eat, alright?" Joshua nodded quietly, allowing Neku to take him to the couch so they could eat there for once. Once Joshua was seated, Neku headed for the kitchen to start cooking quietly. As the silverette sat there, waiting for Neku's return, he texted Shixona.

'Hey, I think Neku and I are gonna take a break from school for a few days,' he tapped out on his phone before sending.

'Huh? Why?' she asked.

'Because I want to spend some quality time with him. I really like him, and I mean as more than a friend,' he explained.

'I know that, but will you be okay?' she sent back.

'Yeah, I'll be fine. Like I said, I want to be with him,' Joshua assured her.

'Okay, I'll tell everyone you guys caught a stomach bug,' she replied. 'Good luck, Josh!' And with that said, Joshua closed his phone right as Neku returned with dinner.

"…you alright?" Neku asked as he passed one plate to Joshua.

"I'm okay. I was just letting Shixona know that we're gonna take a break from school for a few days," the smaller teen answered, accepting the plate with a soft thanks.

"…why?" Neku asked as he sat down next to him. "School's important, yanno?"

"Yeah, I know… I just figured you and I need some time together without anyone else, especially after today," Joshua murmured. "I don't want you to feel like you're not needed, Neku, I really don't…"

"…that's not a sufficient reason to—"

"Neku, I don't care. I feel bad, and I want to spend time with you without anyone else around," Joshua insisted stubbornly.

"…" Neku regarded Joshua for a moment longer, before he sighed heavily. "…fine."

"You know school is pointless anyway. They hardly teach what things you REALLY need to know in life," the silverette chuckled before taking a bite of his dinner.

"Don't say that…" Neku sighed. "It DOES matter…maybe more than you think…." he murmured, before he focused on his own dinner.

Joshua shrugged. "Well, it's not like they teach you how to do your taxes and stuff."

"Unless you go to school specifically for that," Neku pointed out.

"Fair enough," the smaller teen relented with a laugh. After the pair finished eating and had cleaned up from dinner, they got ready for bed, Joshua beating the redhead under the covers. He curled up into a ball against Neku's chest when the Angel joined him, though, murmuring a sleepy goodnight to him. Shortly after, he fell asleep, a content smile curving his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Awesome, another lengthy chapter, posted! I hope you guys like this one! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story & Shixona. Credit for Jin & Neku's portions goes to Milaya Milen Zeal!

The Guardian

Chapter 4

X*X(The Following Weekend)X*X

Once it was the end of their second week of school, Joshua was tired. He wanted nothing more than to go home, get some food, shower, and go to bed, if he was being completely honest. Shixona and Jin had already split off by this point, and Neku and Joshua were just walking home at a leisurely pace. That is, until the first rumble of thunder sounded.

"Dammit…" Joshua whimpered, ducking his head a bit.

"…Rain, huh?" Neku murmured, looking up to the sky. Joshua shivered as the cool air breezed past them, rubbing his arms in an attempt to warm them. Neku looked over to Joshua at that, before he reached over and placed an arm around the silverette.

"Thanks," the smaller teen murmured, grateful for the Angel's warm presence.

"C'mon… Let's head home," the redhead murmured, starting to usher Joshua back. As they continued home, however, they were soon stopped by a not-so-pleasantly familiar presence.

"Yo, it's time for you to pay for getting me expelled, you fucking freak!" Beat snarled as he emerged from an alley. Joshua's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the larger teen.

"You again?" Neku sighed, lightly pushing Joshua behind him, though making sure he stayed close this time. "That was all you, yanno? Deal with it."

"You's a dumb bitch, fag!" Beat yelled, and swung at Neku, making Joshua flinch. However, Neku easily caught the fist in one hand. Before Beat could try to pull back, though, Neku curled his own hand around the blonde's, squeezing hard enough for his short nails to almost pierce through the skin.

Beat gave a pained shout, but swung his legs out to try and knock Neku off his feet. But the moment he did that Neku twisted Beat's arm around, flipping the blonde onto the ground face first, while still holding onto the bully's arm. He didn't let Beat get up, though, and slammed his foot down onto his back, keeping him pinned.

"Yo, let me go, fucker!" Beat snarled through the pain.

"Or…what?" Neku murmured thoughtfully, twisting the blonde's arm a little further.

"AAAHHH!" Beat cried out, unable to stop the pain.

"Care to try that again?" Neku said as he let up (slightly).

"I'm sorry, yo!" Beat wailed.

"For…?"

"Beatin' on you's guys!" the blonde yelled.

"So…what have we learned today?"

"To lay off you guys!" Beat cried out, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks.

"…good." And with that, Neku let him go again. "Now YOU know what it's like…I'd suggest you learn from the experience."

Beat nodded hastily before scrambling to his feet and bolting down the street towards his home. Joshua watched until he was out of sight, and then hugged Neku from behind.

"Thank you," he whispered. Neku turned his head to face Joshua quietly, before he nodded with a small smile.

And then a drop of water hit him on the nose. "…oh crud."

"Let's hurry before we get soaked," the silverette suggested, and then they ran home, making it back right as the downpour started. A crack of thunder sounded this time, making Joshua yelp with fear.

"…? You okay?" Neku asked as he shut the door behind them.

"Just never been a fan of thunderstorms…" Joshua admitted as he kicked off his shoes and left his bag by the door.

"I see…" the redhead murmured as he shimmied off his shoes.

Joshua padded to their room, where he changed into a set of pajamas to sleep in later, and then came out to make some tea. Looking at Neku, he asked, "Do you want some tea?"

"Sure," Neku said with a small nod as he tugged his jacket off. The silverette smiled as he set up the tea kettle, filling it with hot water and setting it on the burner before clicking that burner on. As he waited for the water to boil, he searched for his box of green tea bags, finding it after a few seconds. Finally, after the water had started boiling, making the kettle whistle, Joshua prepped the mugs of tea, and then carried them out to the living room, where Neku was patiently waiting.

"Hopefully this storm passes soon…" he muttered into his cup as he took a small sip.

"These never last long…" Neku assured him as he blew away the steam.

"Still shitty," Joshua mumbled, jumping as another crack of thunder sounded. He spilled a bit of tea on himself from the action, making him hiss in pain from the sharp heat on his thighs.

"Careful!" Neku called out, grabbing a napkin from the table and moving to dab up the spillage.

"Sorry… Thunder startled me…" Joshua mumbled, blushing as Neku cleaned up the mess on his thighs. Neku merely hummed as he finished what he was doing and sat back. Joshua sighed shakily as he did the same, sitting back and sipping at his tea. The redhead quietly sat there sipping his tea, seemingly lot in thought.

After a bit, Joshua looked at the Angel, and quietly asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"…Ah, nothing major, really…"

"If it has you lost in thought, it's not minor," the silverette pointed out.

"…ah… I suppose so…" Neku murmured.

"So…what's on your mind, then?" the smaller teen pressed, setting his half-finished mug of tea on a coaster on the coffee table. Neku didn't reply immediately, and merely sat there, swirling his tea around in his cup as he looked down into it.

Joshua waited patiently, though, hoping it wasn't anything bad. A sudden boom of thunder followed a blinding flash of lightning, making the silverette yelp as he instinctively hid his face in Neku's shoulder.

"Gah!" Neku yowled in surprise, almost spilling his own tea, before he sighed. "I'm starting to think you're more scared of thunder than you initially claimed."

"Sorry!" Joshua squeaked, his voice muffled by Neku's shirt. "I hate thunderstorms, but I can't help it…!"

Neku allowed a small smile as he set his own teacup down, before he shifted around and wrapped his arms around Joshua. "Ssssh…it's okay…it's going to be okay…"

"A-after my mom passed away…I got lost i-in a thunderstorm a-at the p-park when I was seven…" Joshua explained in a stutter as he trembled against Neku, pressing himself close to the Angel for comfort.

"Ah…yeah, that would do it…" he murmured, rubbing the shorter teen's back.

"I only m-managed t-to get home at the t-time because of a neighbor…" Joshua whimpered, almost arching into the calming touch.

"Sssh…it's okay…it's over now…" Neku whispered as he ran a hand through his hair. The smaller teen nodded, his trembling slowly but steadily subsiding into the occasional tremor, and even those were few and far between.

"If all you have is bad memories…all you need to do is make some new ones…better ones…" the Angel spoke softly, gently moving his fingers along the back of Joshua's ear, just under his hairline. The silverette shivered at the touch. "Memories…like…"

"What do you mean?" Joshua asked quietly, looking up.

"…"

Neku seemed to consider what to say for a moment, before he just gave a small sigh, shook his head. Before Joshua could question it, though, Neku's hand turned his head slightly further up. And then, silently, the Angel dipped his head down.

Joshua's violet eyes widened in shock at what was happening. Neku was actually kissing him?! The silverette pressed himself close to Neku as he began to kiss back, his eyelids sliding closed in response. The redhead hummed into the kiss, briefly adjusting his angle, while pulling the shorter male closer and almost onto his lap.

The smaller teen wrapped his arms around Neku's neck as they kissed, shifting himself so he was comfortably situated in the Angel's lap. He gave a soft moan, happy beyond belief that this was actually happening.

After almost five minutes, Neku finally moved back, briefly running his tongue along the boy's lips before he murmured, "Better?"

It took Joshua a few seconds to register what Neku had asked, and he whispered, "Much." He snuggled close to the redhead, still seated in his lap.

"Good…" Neku hummed, leaning back against the couch while still running a hand through Joshua's hair.

"…Neku?" the smaller teen piped up after a few minutes.

"…yeah?"

"Does this mean you love me now?"

"…" Neku regarded Joshua for a moment, before he allowed a small smile. "Yeah," he murmured, moving in briefly to kiss the silverette again.

The smaller teen smiled when they parted again, and settled himself again in Neku's lap. They simply sat there, content, Neku kissing Joshua anytime the thunder rumbled outside. Eventually, Joshua leaned against Neku's chest, simply listening to his heartbeat. The soothing sound soon lulled him to sleep, and he fell asleep in the hold of someone he loved and who loved him back.

Neku smiled softly as he noticed this, before he stood slowly, lifting the silverette in his arms and walking to the bedroom quietly. He gently set down Joshua on the bed, tucking him in under the blankets. Once he had done that, he took only a few moments to change into his bedclothes, and then climbed in bed with the silverette, tugging the blankets over himself as well.

Quietly, he pulled Joshua closer, before he moved over and whispered in the sleeping boy's ear, "Sleep well, Joshua… I love you…"

X*X(Joshua's Birthday, December 25th)X*X

That morning, Joshua woke up feeling like he was on cloud nine. It was his 17th birthday, and he was more than excited to spend the day with Neku. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was facing the Angel's chest, so he pressed his lips against the pale skin there, faintly feeling the redhead's heartbeat through his lips. Despite it being winter, Neku always slept without his shirt on, which Joshua found very attractive.

Neku hummed softly in response, before he opened his eyes slowly and looked to the silverette. "Hmm…morning."

"Good morning," Joshua smiled, snuggling closer.

"…feeling a bit lazy, are we?"

"Can't blame me, you're warm," came the mumbled reply.

"Uh-huh…" Neku chuckled softly, but he didn't bother to move from where he laid. Joshua remained where he was, too, more than content to bother with moving. After all, it was his 17th birthday, and he didn't have to do a damn thing if he didn't want to today.

"…by the way…" Neku suddenly murmured.

"Hmm?" the smaller teen hummed, looking up and kissing the redhead's chin softly.

"Happy birthday," the redhead murmured cheekily as he moved in and kissed the shorter male softly.

Joshua smiled into the kiss, and when they parted, he grinned. "Thank you," he whispered, splaying his fingers out on the Angel's bare chest.

"Hate to burst your bubble…but I'm gonna need you to let me get up for a moment…" Neku said after a moment more. Joshua pouted briefly, but allowed his Guardian Angel to get up from the bed. He propped himself up on his elbows in the meantime, watching Neku.

After briefly stretching his arms over his head, Neku turned back to Joshua. "Also…I need you to close your eyes for a bit." Furrowing his brows together in confusion, Joshua complied, closing his eyes.

Neku briefly moved over and waved his hand in front of Joshua's face for a moment. Once he was sure the silverette wasn't looking, the redhead headed out of the room quietly. He came in a few moments later, carefully carrying a small package, moving slowly.

"Hold up your hands." Once Joshua had done so, Neku sat the package in the silverette's hands. "Alright; open 'em."

Joshua did as told, and blinked, surprised when he saw the package, noticing it had some holes in it. "What is it?" he whispered, hoping whatever it was wouldn't get scared or scare him.

"Only one way to find out, eh?" Neku chuckled. As he said that, though, there was a small yip from inside the box as something prodded at the area where Joshua's hand was placed over the package.

The silverette jumped, slightly startled by the prodding and the yip, but he carefully opened the package anyway. Once the lid was removed, an adorable, golden brown fennec fox kit popped its head up from inside.

"Oh my gods…!" Joshua breathed, shocked. He gently set the package on the bed, and then held out his hand to the kit, fingers curled into a slight fist so his fingers wouldn't get bit should the kit decide to bite. The kit sniffed his hand curiously, before yipping and jumping out of the box into Joshua's lap, looking up at him happily.

"He's so cute!" the silverette whispered, petting the kit's head gently. Those large ears twitched happily as his head was petted, and he even purred. Looking at Neku, he asked, "What should I name him?"

"Heh…he's not mine," Neku pointed out. "I can't go around naming him for you."

"Right…" Joshua murmured, blushing. Gazing at the excited fox kit, he decided on a name for him. "I'll name him Suna." At that, the newly-named Suna perked up, and then yipped excitedly.

"Looks like he likes it," Neku chuckled as he sat back down on the bed.

"Do you like your name, Suna?" Joshua asked, scratching behind the kit's large ears. Suna purred at the scratching, pressing into the contact before giving a yip. "I'll take that as a yes." Joshua's stomach audibly growled at that moment, making Suna look at the silverette's stomach in surprise.

Neku laughed at that, shaking his head, before he stood up. "May as well get some breakfast, then, eh?"

"Good idea," the smaller teen agreed, getting out of bed and picking up Suna in the process. "You're hungry, too, huh?" Suna yipped in agreement, his tail wagging in Joshua's arms. "We'll get you some food, then." The fox kit licked Joshua's chin happily, looking at Neku briefly as they headed to the kitchen. Once there, Neku silently began working on breakfast, briefly blowing his bangs out of his eyes as he went. As he did that, Joshua grabbed three eggs from the fridge and cracked them into a makeshift food bowl for Suna, setting it on the floor for him.

"There you go, little guy," he smiled, petting Suna's head as he ate. Neku merely smiled absently before he turned back to his cooking. Joshua left Suna to finish his breakfast in peace, and then hugged Neku from behind. "What are you making?" he asked softly.

Neku chuckled. "Just a typical English breakfast," he said casually.

"Sounds tasty," Joshua smiled against Neku's back.

"I would hope so. Just take a seat. I'll be done in a minute." Joshua pouted at the words, but complied anyway, heading to the dining room to sit down. Suna soon finished his own breakfast, and sat by Joshua's feet, looking up at him expectantly.

"All right, come here," Joshua giggled, and Suna hopped into his lap so that he could get cuddled.

Not even that long after, Neku came over and set a plate of eggs, sausages, toast and mashed potatoes in front of Joshua. "Here ya go."

"Thanks, Neku," the smaller teen smiled, waiting for Neku to sit down before eating. As they ate, Suna sniffed at each forkful of food Joshua put in his mouth, eventually making the silverette laugh. "You already had breakfast, naughty boy," he chided lightly. Neku chuckled softly, but he said nothing about it as he continued eating. When they finished, Suna watched with interest as the pair cleaned up. Once done with cleaning, Joshua watched the fox kit as he yawned widely.

"Tired, huh? Get some sleep, buddy," the silverette murmured, scooping Suna up and setting him on a throw pillow on the couch.

Neku chuckled as the kit curled up on the pillow, before he walked over behind Joshua and wrapping his arms around his waist. "Happy?"

"Very," Joshua murmured, leaning into the embrace.

"Hmm…ne, Joshua…"

"Yes?"

"You DO realize that it's not just your birthday today, ne?"

"I know," the smaller teen smiled. "Merry Christmas, Neku~"

Neku chuckled as he moved in and kissed the shorter male gently. "So…ready for your Christmas present, then?"

"Of course," Joshua giggled.

"Come with me…" Neku murmured, taking Joshua's hand and leading him back to the bedroom. Joshua followed obediently, wondering just what Neku had planned. Neku beckoned for Joshua to walk in first, and once he was inside, the Angel followed and closed the door behind them. Joshua looked back at Neku curiously.

"Ne… Joshua…" Neku murmured as he stepped up to the silverette and placed his hands on his hips. "Piece of advice…" Before he finished, he leaned in and then whispered in Joshua's ear. "Make sure the door's locked next time…"

Joshua's face erupted in a crimson blush, and he stuttered out, "Y-you heard that?" He didn't realize Neku had seen him masturbating…

"You WERE being rather loud," Neku chuckled, gently rubbing his hands in circles along Joshua's hips. The smaller male whimpered, lowering his gaze to Neku's shoulder shyly.

Neku smirked softly, before he closed his teeth around the boy's earlobe gently. This made Joshua jump a little, startled, but he didn't pull away, instead shivering lightly. Rather than say anything, Neku merely smirked and curled his hands around Joshua's back and tugged him closer against him.

Joshua gave a soft gasp at the tug, finally raising his timid gaze to look up at Neku. "You really want me?" he asked hesitantly, feeling his insecurities start to come back.

Neku didn't respond immediately, as he rarely did, before he gave a small smile and leaned in to kiss him. "Yes, I do," he purred as he pulled away, letting his hands rest on Joshua's ass. "Don't be so unsure of yourself, Joshua… I love you," he murmured, as he began to kiss and nibble on the shorter teen's throat.

Joshua moaned quietly at the attention given to his throat, and he moved his hands to firmly grip Neku's shoulders. "I love you, too, Neku," he managed to whisper. Rather than respond to the soft words, Neku gently nipped at the skin, while he firmly squeezed the silverette's ass and pulled him closer, still. The smaller teen shuddered at the touches, pulling Neku closer to himself in response.

With a soft chuckle, Neku pulled away and whispered in his ear, "Feels good, ne?"

"Mmhmm…" Joshua hummed, unable to form proper words.

"Good," Neku murmured, just as he tugged Joshua up so that his feet left the ground. The smaller teen yelped at the sudden action, looking at the Angel with wide eyes. However, the Angel merely smirked and leaned down to kiss him again. Joshua kissed Neku back eagerly, never wanting this to end.

Effortlessly, Neku moved further into the room, reaching the bed and setting Joshua down gently, never once breaking the kiss. By this point, Joshua's eyes had shut, and he continued to kiss back, more than ready for anything Neku had planned. Neku briefly pulled away to take a small breath, but then he moved right back in, gently pushing Joshua back to lie on the bed.

Joshua wrapped his arms around Neku's neck, pulling the redhead closer, and kissing back eagerly. As they continued to kiss, Neku ran his hands along Joshua's sides, before he began to push off the boy's top. The smaller teen shivered at the feeling of Neku's hands on his bare skin as his pajama shirt was removed, and arched up against the Angel. Neku pulled away to tug the shirt off completely, and then, for a moment, just sat there and looked at the boy beneath him. This made Joshua blush, self-consciously moving his arms to cover himself.

"Don't," Neku said almost immediately, taking hold of his wrists and moving them away again. Joshua whined pathetically, but didn't fight him. Neku allowed a small smile as he let his hands trail along the silverette's arms, and then along his chest. "Don't be so ashamed of your own body…"

Joshua nodded, shivering at the caresses to his upper body. This made the redhead chuckle, as he moved his fingers slowly, before he flicked them at Joshua's nipples. The silverette gasped and shuddered at the stimulation, feeling his hardening member strain against his pajama bottoms in response.

"Feels good, ne?" Neku purred, flicking them again. The smaller teen nodded weakly, gripping the sheets tightly.

Neku smiled a bit cheekily, before he dipped his head down and closed his mouth around the shorter teen's left nipple. Joshua gave a startled squeak, shuddering heavily from the feeling of the warm wetness. Neku merely chuckled softly, as he suckled on the hardened nub, while turning the other between his fingers. The smaller teen whined pitifully, squirming from the sensations. After a few minutes of this, Neku pulled away, only to switch to the other nipple.

"Ah!" Joshua gasped, and then a moan escaped him. Neku purred softly, while he let his free hand trail down the boy's side to rest on his hip. The silverette moaned and mewled as Neku continued teasing his nipple, but even though he wanted more, he couldn't find the words to ask.

Just then, Neku suddenly closed his teeth around the nub, while at the same time pressing his palm over the boy's crotch firmly. Joshua cried out at the firm press to his erection, tightening his grip on the sheets until his knuckles turned white.

At that, Neku smirked and pulled back, moving his hand slowly but firmly. "Good?" Joshua could only nod, shivering and shuddering at the motions to his groin. A soft chuckle rumbled from the redhead's throat, before he moved down and kissed Joshua again. And as he did, his fingers hooked around the waistband of his bottoms. The smaller teen shivered lightly in anticipation, and raised his hips to aid Neku in removing his pants as he continued to kiss the Angel.

Once the article of cloth had been removed, Neku moved back and smirked softly. "Why am I not surprised?" he murmured, as he let his fingers play along Joshua's bare hip.

"This is normal for me," Joshua mumbled shyly, shivering lightly at the touch to his hip.

"Is it now?" Neku purred while his fingers moved slowly.

"I never wear underwear to bed…" the smaller teen admitted. Neku merely hummed softly…right before his fingers curled around the silverette's cock. Joshua cried out, his back arching and bringing his hips up to buck against Neku's. This had the Angel groaning briefly, before his smirk grew and he began to move his hand. The smaller teen moaned, loving the sensation of Neku's hand on his cock. It felt nothing like when he would masturbate like the night before, but it felt MUCH better than his own hand.

After a moment more of this, Neku scooted back just a little bit, then took a deep breath and ducked his head down, swallowing Joshua's cock in one smooth motion.

"Holy…NEKU!" Joshua very nearly screamed, and his hands instinctively buried themselves in the Angel's reddish-orange locks. His breaths came out in huffs as his release began to speed closer. Neku ignored the scream, however, instead humming softly from his throat as he bobbed his head steadily, with one of his hands secured around the base and the other playing with the silverette's balls.

The smaller teen moaned loudly at the hum, trembling and squirming beneath Neku. He moaned and mewled pathetically, wanting release. And then, Neku pulled back entirely, breathed in through his nose, and then swallowed his whole cock, loosening his fingers just a bit. This allowed Joshua his release, and he came into Neku's mouth with a pleasured cry of the Angel's name.

Neku purred softly as he greedily swallowed it all, before he finally pulled back. Joshua was breathing heavily, trying desperately to regulate his breathing again. Neku smirked as he moved over and locked their mouths together gently. Joshua kissed back slowly, mind still reeling from being given his first blowjob.

After a moment more, Neku moved back and purred, "So…how was that?"

"Amazing," the smaller teen breathed.

"Good…" Neku smirked, as his hands smoothed out along the skin of Joshua's thighs. Joshua shivered at the touch. "Oh you didn't think we DONE, did you?"

"Definitely not," the silverette smiled slightly.

"Good," Neku chuckled, moving in to kiss Joshua again, as he let his fingers trail further down. Joshua trembled in anticipation, wanting nothing more than to remain with Neku like this.

As Neku's fingers played along the twitching skin, his other hand searched around under the pillow. Pulling back briefly, he warned, "This might feel a bit cold," before he moved in again, using his thumb to effortlessly flip the cap of the bottle he'd grabbed open.

"I trust you," Joshua whispered, taking a deep breath and relaxing. As soon as he said that, Neku tipped the bottle, letting the content seep out and coat Joshua's crotch. The silverette gasped quietly at the cool liquid running over his member, tensing slightly out of instinct.

"Relax…" Neku murmured, as his fingers spread the lube along the skin, massaging it gently. The smaller teen nodded, taking slow, deep breaths to do as he was told. Neku slowly moved his fingers along the skin, and then, after a few moments, pushed a finger past the silverette's entrance. Joshua whimpered at the slight twinge of pain he felt, but took another deep breath, relaxing again.

Once the muscle had relaxed around his finger, Neku slowly began moving it, slipping it further in each time, and occasionally curling his finger along the inner walls. The silverette shuddered at the feeling, resisting the urge to squirm. At the next motion, the redhead curled another finger and slipped it in as well, keeping his motions slow and even. This time, Joshua couldn't help but tense up, giving a small whine.

"Ssssh…it's okay… Just relax…" Neku reassured, kissing his lover's cheek gently. Joshua turned his head to capture Neku's lips with his own, and kissed him desperately, wrapping his arms around the Angel's neck to hold him close, even as Neku continued to stretch him. Neku lightly nibbled on Joshua's bottom lip, he arched his fingers up sharply. Immediately, Joshua broke away from the kiss, throwing his head back with a loud moan.

"Aaah…there we go…" Neku purred, pulled out, and then snapping his fingers up again.

"Ahh-hah…!" Joshua panted, stars dancing across his vision. Neku smirked, scissoring his fingers and twisting them around, before moving them along Joshua's feel-good spot again. The smaller teen cried out loudly, and then made a desperate plea.

"N…Neku! Please, I-I can't take anymore…F-fuck m-me!"

In response to those words, Neku smiled and pulled his fingers out, quietly moving into position. "Ready?"

"Yes, p-please!" Joshua begged. Nodding quietly, Neku briefly adjusted his position, and then he moved. This drew a sharp gasp from the silverette as he adjusted to Neku's girth inside of him. The Angel was by no means small, so Joshua found himself giving an involuntary whimper as he tried to adjust.

Noticing the sound, Neku held still and gently shushed Joshua as he wiped the hair out of his eyes. "Sssh…it's okay…it's alright, I'm here for you…ssshh…"

Joshua nodded, forcing himself to relax. Eventually, he shifted his hips slightly, and then breathed, "Move, Neku…"

Neku hissed slightly at the movement, but rather than say anything, he nodded, braced himself, and began to move slowly, keeping his eyes on his lover the whole time. Joshua gazed into the loving sapphire gaze above him, and slid his hands up along Neku's arms to his shoulders, lightly pulling the redhead closer. He was starting to feel the pleasure through the pain, so he bucked his hips up, hoping to spur Neku into a swifter pace.

"Nrgh…!" Neku hissed through his teeth, clearly struggling to keep the pace even. Unfortunately, at Joshua's second buck, his control snapped and he increased his speed until he was almost slamming into him.

Joshua moaned and cried out loudly in pleasure, wrapping his slim legs around Neku's waist and pulling the Angel deeper inside of him. The new position made the redhead groan in pleasure as he lowered himself until their chests were touching, while still moving against the boy beneath him. It also allowed Neku to adjust his angle just enough to strike Joshua's prostate perfectly. This caused the smaller teen to give a piercing cry of ecstasy, tightening his legs around Neku's hips and clenching around his amazing cock in response.

Neku moaned loudly at the increased pressure, feeling his body getting closer and closer. Not wishing to go alone, though, he reached out with one hand and began to stroke Joshua's neglected cock. The silverette cried out again, wrapping his arms around the Angel's neck and holding him close to himself.

"N-Neku…I…I-I'm gonna c-cum!" he stuttered out in warning.

"Then do it," Neku hissed out under his breath. "Come then… Come for me, Yoshiya…" And he did. Joshua came with an ear-splitting scream of pure ecstasy, his cum coating Neku's hand and their stomachs as he clenched tightly around the redhead's cock. After a moment of just breathing, Neku gently pulled away and laid himself down next to the silverette. Joshua curled up against Neku automatically, pressing his face into the hollow of the redhead's throat and inhaling deeply, breathing in Neku's amazing scent. Neku allowed a smile as he wrapped his arm around his lover's neck.

"So…happy?" he murmured.

"Very happy," the smaller teen breathed. "Thank you, Neku. This is the best Christmas and birthday ever."

"Good," Neku chuckled, placing a kiss to Joshua's temple. As he rested there for a moment, though, he murmured softly, "Three…two…one…"

As soon as he finished, there was a loud click from the door, after which the door opened inward and Suna darted inside, hopping onto the bed. The fennec fox kit crawled over to Joshua, and curled up against his upper back, nuzzling the back of the silverette's neck. Joshua giggled at the sensation, and reached back to lightly pet Suna before cuddling close to Neku again.

"I love you, Neku," he whispered.

Neku smiled warmly as he held Joshua close to him. "Love you, too, Yoshiya," he murmured back.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Another chapter, cranked out! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. Credit for Gabriel goes to Milaya Milen Zeal, and many thanks to her for her help!

The Guardian

Chapter 5

X*X(12 Days Later)X*X

It was the last day of Christmas break for Joshua and Neku, and they were spending it at home, cuddling and kissing on the couch while a Netflix movie played in the background. Suddenly, Suna stopped playing with one of his toys and looked at the pair curiously. He then crept over and pounced onto Joshua's lap, yipping at the silverette before pawing at him.

"Okay, I get it, you want attention, too!" Joshua laughed, gently scratching behind one of Suna's ears. Suddenly, Neku's phone, which was on the table, started to go off, which was unusual. Nobody ever called him, and only Joshua and Shixona texted him, but those were rare moments. Joshua frowned, confused, as Neku quickly snagged it and answered it.

"Yello, dead kid speaking," Neku said, possibly to keep the mood light, but the worry was obvious in his voice.

"Hey Boss, we need you to come back," Mr. Hanekoma's voice said. "We've got trouble here, and you're one of the best fighters we got."

"…wh…what?" Neku got out, glancing to Joshua worriedly. "What…kind of trouble?"

"Some kind of dark force is trying to escape from Hell, but not even Lucifer himself can control it," the older Angel explained. "That's why we need you back."

"…but…" Neku started slowly, only to trail off silently. Joshua held Suna close for comfort as he listened in. He couldn't handle it if Neku left, he wouldn't be able to deal with the heartbreak.

"I know you and your Guard have bonded, so I would advise bringing him with you. We'll proceed from there," Mr. H added.

"…wait, what?" At those words, Neku frowned. "What do you…?"

"I'm gonna make him an Angel, Boss, don't worry so much," the dark haired Angel explained. "I know he has to technically die to become one, but in this case, I'm making an exception. I'll transfer his life energy into becoming an Angel."

"…" Neku didn't say anything else immediately, turning instead to Joshua. "…oi, Mr. H?"

"Yeah?"

"…did you actually plan all of this?"

"You know it. I wanted you to be with someone who genuinely cares about you, not someone who wants to be your accessory," Sanae told the redhead, a smirk evident in his voice.

"…you're an asshole, you know that?" Neku snarled softly.

"You know I care about you, Neku, like a son," the older Angel replied. "Now hurry up and get ready. I'll transfer the kid's life energy once you're both ready. Just shoot me a text when you're set."

Neku sighed in annoyance, but he merely scoffed and said, "Fine," before he hung up. "Blasphemy be damned; Goddamn it…"

"What's going on, Neku?" Joshua asked nervously, looking up at the Angel with wide, fearful eyes.

"…that was my superior…" Neku mumbled. "…I need to go back…" Upon noticing the worried and almost terrified look, he added; "And apparently…I'm supposed to take you with me."

"Wait, what? But don't I have to die first?" the smaller teen questioned, confused as Suna looked at him.

"That's usually it, yeah…but seems he intends to, instead, transfer your life energy into making you an Angel as well… No clue how he intends to make THAT work…"

"As long as we're together though, right?" the silverette murmured, pressing his lips to Neku's jaw briefly.

"Yeah…" Neku sighed out softly. Upon a small yip, he looked down with a smirk. "All three of us will be."

"Good," Joshua smiled, hugging Suna and cuddling close to Neku. "What do we need to do?"

"Well step one, we need to get dressed."

"Good point," the smaller teen nodded, and slid off the couch, still holding Suna as he started to head to the bedroom. "Come on, we'd better hurry. I don't want to get you in trouble."

"Yeah," Neku murmured, following after quietly. The pair got dressed once in the bedroom, and once Joshua scooped up Suna again, the silverette looked at Neku as he pulled out his phone.

"Now what?"

"Gimme a moment…" Neku murmured, pulling out his phone and quickly texting his superior. Shortly after, his phone received a text saying to hold onto Joshua while teleporting to Heaven. As he teleported them, however, Joshua slumped in his arms, going completely limp, even as he held Suna's own limp form. When they arrived, Sanae Hanekoma was waiting for them.

Barely able to hold onto the now limp body, Neku turned on the other Angel almost immediately. "What the HELL did you do?!"

"Relax, Neku. His life energy is just changing inside of him. In order to do that without hurting him, I had to render him unconscious," Sanae soothed. "He'll wake up in a few hours, but for now, take him back to your place and take it easy. I'm sure he'll need you when he wakes." Neku snarled angrily, but he said nothing else as he picked up the silverette in his arms, summoned his wings and silently flew 'home'.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When Joshua woke up later, he felt strange, almost like something had changed with him. He felt Suna's sleeping form in his arms, but that didn't do much to calm him when he opened his eyes. He had no idea where he was, as nothing looked remotely familiar to him.

"Neku?!" he called out fearfully.

Upon the call, it took only a moment before said redhead walked into the room. Upon seeing the other awake, he actually sighed in relief. "You're awake…" he murmured, walking over quickly. "How do you feel?"

"Different, but it's hard to describe," Joshua murmured, gently setting Suna on the bed he was on before hugging Neku. "I was scared, Neku…"

"Ssshh…it's okay, Joshua, it's okay…" Neku reassured him, gently returning the hug as his wings came around Joshua's shoulders protectively. The smaller teen whimpered quietly, but soon relaxed, calmed by the feeling of Neku's wings around him. As they hugged, there was a quick knock at the front door.

"Of all the…" Neku grumbled, before he slowly stood up, but not before kissing Joshua briefly. "I'll be right back. Promise." At the door was a familiar face to Neku, or rather, two faces, Shiki and Eri.

"Neku!" Eri chimed happily. "We're so happy to see you back!"

'Oh great…' Neku groaned inwardly. 'Just who I DIDN'T want to see…'

Out of everyone back home, his ex and her new girlfriend (who also happened to be far too flirty with him, by the way) were the last people he wanted to see upon his return. However, he forced himself to swallow his displeasure in favor of being at least a little hospitable.

"Shiki… Eri…" he said solemnly with a nod to each in turn. "What brings you here?"

"We wanted to say hi, and see how you were doing after your most recent job," Shiki told him, adjusting her hold on her stuffed cat plush, Mr. Mew. "Can we come in?"

"I apologize, but no," Neku said almost immediately. "I just came back, so if you do not mind, I would prefer to be alone for a while."

"Neku?" Joshua suddenly piped up from the bedroom doorway. "Who's there?"

"Who's that?" Shiki and Eri asked in unison, looking at Neku.

(Doesn't mean he has an obligation to tell them, though.)

'Crap…!'

"I do not think that is of any importance. Good day," he said simply as he made to close the door again.

"Hold on, you can't seriously expect us to leave after seeing some stranger with you!" Eri protested as the door closed, jamming her foot in the path of it so it couldn't close.

"I do not have any obligation to tell you who I invite into my house," was Neku's immediate reply.

"Neku!" Shiki snapped, losing her own patience. "He's obviously new, so who is he?!" Joshua watched the exchange worriedly, holding Suna's now-conscious form close to his chest.

Neku gritted his teeth, still trying to stay polite. If it wasn't a bad idea in general, he would've already closed the door in their face (after kicking Eri's foot away). "Again, I have no obligation to tell you," he repeated.

"Fine, but we'll find out from Mr. H!" Eri huffed, allowing the door to close. Once closed, Joshua lowered his gaze.

"Sorry…" he murmured, smiling slightly at Suna as the fox kit licked his chin.

"Ugh…" Neku exhaled sharply as he rubbed his temples. "It's fine…"

"Who were they? They can't be good friends if they're being so pushy," Joshua asked softly, approaching the redhead.

Neku sighed again as he rubbed at his temples, before he walked to the kitchen. "That…was my ex with her new girlfriend…"

"Oh…" the silverette uttered, trailing after his lover into the kitchen. Neku didn't say anything else to elaborate as he took the kettle off the fire and began looking for the tea. "Neku? Who is 'Mr. H'?"

"Whuh…? …oh right… Sanae Hanekoma. He's…well, he's basically the one who got me up here," Neku said as he began pouring some tea. "We all call him Mr. H."

"Oh, okay," Joshua nodded, accepting the offered cup from Neku after setting Suna on the floor. The fennec fox kit quickly began to sniff around, becoming familiar with his new surroundings. "What's he like?" he asked as they sat on the loveseat.

"He's…um…" Neku paused then. "I'm…not entirely sure how to describe him… He's…different. I think that's the closest I can really get."

"Well, if he was kind enough to keep us together, then I look forward to meeting him," Joshua giggled, cuddling close to the redhead.

"I'll do you one better; he arranged the whole damn thing of us getting together."

"Really? Well, then I need to thank him," the smaller teen replied. "After all, I'm sure you don't mind us being together, right?"

"I don't, of course," Neku said with a nod. "I just don't appreciate this all being staged the way he did it."

"Still, be grateful. We're both happy together. How else would it have happened, anyway?" Joshua pointed out.

"…not sure… Though Gabe would probably say 'if it's meant to be, then it'll happen regardless'…"

"Who's Gabe?"

"…ah right; Gabriel. He's an old friend from when I started here."

"Oh, okay. Do you think he'll like me? As someone for you, I mean," the silverette asked, blushing shyly.

"Probably…he's one of those who believed everyone's got someone waiting for them somewhere."

"That's a nice way of thinking."

"Hmhmm…"

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

After an hour of them just sitting there, there was yet another knock on the door, making Neku grumble. "Dammit…" he mumbled, but he made no move to get up.

"Shouldn't you get that? It might not be those girls," Joshua murmured. Then Suna began to paw at Neku's thigh, yipping at him as if to tell him the same.

"Don't feel like it…" Neku mumbled.

However, the moment he said that, there was another knock, but this time in a very specific pattern that made Neku blink.

"…that's Gabe," he said with a sigh as he stood up. "He's not gonna go away until I open the door…"

"Seems like he knows how stubborn you are," Joshua giggled, scratching behind Suna's ears.

"That he does…" Neku mumbled as he walked over to the door. Wordlessly, he opened the door. "Still as insistent as usual, huh, Gabe?"

"How else am I to get your lazy bum off the couch?" came a calm voice, as Neku stepped aside, allowing the other Angel walk into the house.

"Not funny…"

Joshua sat up as the newcomer entered the house, and got up to greet him.

"It's nice to meet you, Gabriel," the smaller teen smiled. "My name is Joshua."

The Angel looked over curiously, emerald eyes regarding the silverette. He was about Neku's height, but his hair was a combination of light blonde with dark red (possibly dyed) tips. He was dressed in some easy clothes, and, if not for his wings, he could be seen as a very casual guy.

"…Ah, I see. Is this why the girls left your place in such a hurry?" Gabriel asked of Neku.

"Oh shut up…"

"I shall take that as a yes, then," Gabriel said with an amused smile, before he turned to Joshua. "In any event, it is a pleasure to meet you, Joshua," he said as he held out his hand.

"Apparently, they were going to find out who I am from Mr. Hanekoma," Joshua explained as he shook Gabriel's hand.

"That certainly does not surprise me…" Gabriel said with a small smile.

"There a reason you're here, Gabe? Or you just here to say 'hi'?" Neku interrupted.

The subject-changing question didn't seem to affect Gabriel in the least, as he turned to face the redhead. "…Do I not get a drink offered first, Neku?"

Neku rolled his eyes at that. "Weren't you the one saying I wasn't allowed to ask that question anymore?"

This made Gabriel chuckle. "Correct."

"So?"

"…Both," the dual-haired male admitted finally. Joshua chuckled at their antics. Neku sighed softly as he walked back to the loveseat and plopped down on it, before gesturing to the armchair across from it. Gabriel merely nodded in thanks and took the seat without a word. Joshua was quick to join Neku on the loveseat, cuddling close to his side as Suna jumped up and curled into a ball on Joshua's lap. Upon seeing the fox, Gabriel hummed curiously, but he didn't ask about it, even as Neku reached over to lightly scratch Suna behind one of his large ears.

"…so… I guess you're here about what's going on?" Neku finally said.

At that words, Gabriel hummed. "Well, how much do you know already?"

"Barely anything, really… Just Mr. H telling me I was needed back because…dark forces or something?" Joshua frowned, puzzled.

"I see…" Gabriel murmured.

"How much do YOU know?" Neku asked then.

"Not much more than you, I fear… I had actually hoped you would be able to say more."

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble on that one…"

Gabriel merely shrugged.

"Wait, so you'll have to fight these dark forces?" Joshua asked Neku worriedly.

Upon that question, both Angels turned to Joshua, before looking to each other. After a moment of silently staring at each other, Neku finally turned back to Joshua. "Most likely…"

"I…I don't want to see you get hurt," the silverette murmured, lowering his gaze.

"Josh…" Neku started, watching the shorter boy sadly, before he reached over and firmly hugged him. "It's alright… This is pretty standard stuff. I'll bet we'll be done with things before you have a chance to miss me."

"You promise?" Joshua asked softly.

"I promise," Neku assured. "I'm not going to leave you alone. I promise."

Gabriel chose not to say anything. He merely regarded the couple in silence.

"Okay," the smaller teen nodded, hugging Neku back.

Then there was a new knock at the front door, followed by a voice calling, "Neku, I gotta brief you on what's going on, so let me in, okay?"

"...Speak of the devil..."

"You stay; I will get it," Gabriel offered as Neku made to stand up, standing instead and moving to the door. When he answered the door, Mr. H blinked in surprise when he saw Gabriel, and then nodded.

"Good thing you're here, too, Gabriel. Gotta brief you both on this," he said, walking in. When he saw Joshua, he smiled. "Nice to see you're awake, kid. I'm sure Neku's told you who I am, but regardless, it's nice to meet you."

"Um, nice to meet you, too, sir," Joshua replied shyly as Suna went over and sniffed Sanae curiously.

"Don't call me sir, J, it makes me feel older than I am," the Angel chided lightly. "Anyway, go ahead and take a seat, Gabe." Gabriel nodded briefly and took the same seat as he had occupied earlier.

"So, it seems that some sort of dark force is trying to escape from Hell, and even Lucifer can't control it. He shared that it seems to be Orochi, the legendary eight-headed serpent. Lucifer himself is unable to control Orochi, as the beast acts on its own, but some of Lucifer's demons have managed to break through Orochi's defenses. They have all been killed, though." This bit made Joshua stiffen with fear, and he glanced at Neku worriedly. "That's why he asked for us to help. As much as Heaven and Hell oppose each other, Lucifer knows Orochi would end everyone if he gets loose. Neku, Gabriel, you are two of our best fighters, so I'll need you two to be our greatest help."

"Orochi…" Neku murmured with a small frown.

"I can see why Lucifer would require aid with this…" Gabriel said softly. "This is not something demons could deal with on their own…"

"No, it's not. Our holy Angel powers and abilities are the only way to vanquish Orochi," Sanae said. "I'll also join in on the fight, seeing as I taught you both everything I know."

"How many of us will be joining the mission with us?" Gabriel asked, while Neku gently rubbed Joshua's arm.

"Eighteen more Angels, making it an army of twenty-one against Orochi," the older Angel answered. "One of which will be Trinity herself."

Upon that news, both Neku and Gabriel stared at Mr. H.

"Trinity is coming?! Why?!" Neku managed to get out.

"She feels that her fighting presence is necessary in this battle to ensure everyone's safety," Mr. Hanekoma explained. "She doesn't want to lose anyone to this bastard of a serpent, as she put it." He chuckled at the last part. Joshua, however, was still worried about Neku. If this Orochi was as deadly as he sounded, then Neku could be in grave danger if he wasn't careful.

"It would make sense…" Gabriel murmured. "Plus, it would increase our chances of success significantly."

"Yes, it would. She'll be giving everyone their weapons later today, so you two may want to pick those up," Sanae added. "Neku, since you can use any weapon, Trinity's giving you her katana to use since she's using her holy arrows." Joshua relaxed slightly at that, but Suna still sensed his distress, as the kit hopped into his lap and nuzzled his chest.

"That's…awfully considerate…" Neku said slowly. "I'm not complaining, but… I'm not entirely sure I've deserved that honor…" Suddenly, a glowing orb shot into the room through an open window, and after a blinding light, Trinity herself stood before them all.

"Of course you deserve my katana, Neku," she smiled. "Don't belittle yourself. You have someone you love to protect and care for now."

"Lady Trinity…!" both Gabriel and Neku managed to get out in surprise, swiftly bowing their heads respectfully.

"You need not bow, either of you," she giggled. "After all, you and I shall be fighting alongside each other tomorrow, and we will be equals." She looked at Joshua then. "I see you must be Yoshiya, the one who holds Neku's heart. It is a pleasure for me to know that he has someone so special for himself now." Suna yipped at her as if not wanting to be forgotten, and she smiled. "You have a lovely little kit, too. He's precious."

"His name is Suna, actually, Lady Trinity," Joshua murmured shyly.

"A delightful name. And no need to be so shy, my young Angel. I care deeply for all of my Angels, and the fact that you and Neku love each other so deeply makes me care for you that much more," she told him, making Joshua blush. Neku didn't respond to the words, but he did place a hand on Joshua's shoulder to calm him down again. "But I wanted to come by to give you my katana in person, Neku, as well as assure you that you deserve it."

"…" Neku didn't answer immediately, but when he finally seemed to have found his voice again, he bowed once more, despite just being told it wasn't needed. "Thank you, Lady Trinity."

"Of course," she smiled softly, and removed the sheathed blade and its belt from her waist, handing it to him. "Use it well. I shall see you at the palace, Gabriel, to collect your weapon later?"

"As you wish, Lady Trinity," Gabriel said politely with a bow of his own, as Neku stood silently, regarding the weapon he now held in his hands.

"Good. I must return to make my own preparations, so Sanae, if you will come with me," she said.

"I'm coming, Lady Trinity," he nodded, and the pair left, taking flight once outside. After they were gone, Joshua looked at the faintly glowing sheath of the katana, feeling immense power radiating from it.

"I'm glad she gave it to you, Neku," Joshua murmured.

"Hm?" Neku looked over curiously. "…why?"

"Because I don't like worrying so much, and her giving it to you makes my fears ease a bit," the silverette admitted.

Neku regarded the silverette briefly, before he sighed and knocked their foreheads together. "Baka…" he murmured softly. "It'll be fine… you have my word."

"I know, but I can't help but worry. I love you, so shouldn't I worry about you when you're out in dangerous circumstances? I wouldn't be a very good lover if I didn't," Joshua pointed out with a slight smile.

"I know…but you need to trust me…okay?"

"I do," was the immediate answer.

"Good…" Neku mumbled.

Before Joshua could say anything else, there was a small cough, drawing the pair's attention to Gabriel, his expression calm and completely unbothered. Joshua quickly looked down to the floor, embarrassed at having been watched during their conversation.

"Something wrong, Gabe?"

"Not particularly, but I do have something to remind you of, even if you say you already know this…" Gabriel said calmly.

"Lemme guess… I gotta remember I'm not fighting just for myself anymore."

"Correct."

Neku rolled his eyes. "I know that. I have no desire to be ended any time soon."

"I shall hold you to that… though you should also ensure you do not end up as I did."

"…point taken… I'll be careful."

"Good."

Joshua smiled slightly at the other Angel in silent thanks.

"In any event, I shall take my leave now. I will see you tomorrow, Neku."

"Yeah… see ya."

Gabriel nodded silently and then showed himself out without a word. Once he was gone, Joshua looked at Neku again. "At least we can have some alone time now."

Neku sighed as he leaned back. "Yeah… that was a lot of people just showing up randomly…"

"But not without purpose," the smaller teen pointed out, lying back against Neku's chest and pressing a kiss to his jaw.

"I suppose…" the redhead murmured, as he placed a kiss to Joshua's forehead. The silverette smiled as he cuddled with Neku, the pair simply kissing each other occasionally as the evening went on. Eventually, the two Angels went to bed, and Joshua fell asleep in Neku's arms, silently reassured that the fight tomorrow would go well.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This is it, folks! End of the fic! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story. Credit for Gabriel goes to Milaya Milen Zeal, and she deserves many thanks for her help!

The Guardian

Chapter 6

The next morning, Joshua woke up first, feeling his concerns for Neku return. Despite what the redhead had promised and his trust in his lover, he couldn't help but worry about him. As he lay there, he curled up closer to Neku, if that was possible.

This, however, made the redhead groan sleepily, before he wearily opened his eyes. "…Joshua?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," the silverette whispered.

"…what's wrong?"

"I know what you said yesterday, and I do trust you, but I can't help but worry," Joshua mumbled.

"Don't," Neku murmured, reaching up and moving aside Joshua's bangs. "Just don't think about it. I'm just going on an errand… think of it like that, okay?"

"A deadly one," the smaller teen muttered, but sighed. "But okay, I'll try that. I love you so much, Neku."

"I know…" Neku murmured, briefly kissing him. "I love you, too."

"We'd better get up and get you ready," Joshua sighed, but didn't move from where he was.

Neku waited for a moment more, before he decided to point this out. "…soooo… are we?"

"Sorry…" The silverette then sat up, gaining Suna's attention from where the kit had been sleeping on a blanket in the corner. Suna hurried over, nuzzling Joshua's chest as the teen stretched.

Neku sighed softly as he sat up. "Joshua…" When the boy looked up, Neku moved in again to kiss him. "Everything will be fine… I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Joshua smiled slightly.

"Good," Neku said with a smile. "C'mon. Let's get something to eat, a'ight?" The smaller teen nodded, and the pair climbed out of bed, Suna following them to the kitchen. There went their usual routine of Neku making breakfast while Joshua fed Suna and waiting until the food was ready. When finished, Joshua waited on Neku as he went to get dressed in his combat gear.

It took Neku a few moments to prepare, but finally he stepped out of the bedroom, adjusting his gauntlets quietly. He wore a pale silver armor over a dark gray tunic, with a pair of gauntlets and greaves protecting his hands and shins, and a diadem-like charm secured along his forehead. He had secured Trinity's sword on a belt, and it now rested lightly on his left hip.

"You look really good, Neku," Joshua commented as he got up.

Neku looked up curiously, before he seemed to understand what had been said and nodded. "Thanks…" Joshua went over to his lover, and hugged Neku tightly.

"Don't do anything reckless, okay?" he said quietly.

Neku nodded as he hugged back as best as he could in his armor. "I won't. I promise, I'll be home before you know it."

"I trust you," the silverette murmured, kissing Neku briefly. "I'll be waiting for you."

Neku nodded softly, before he kissed Joshua on his forehead, and then walked toward the door. When he reached it, though, he paused and looked back to Joshua with a warm smile, once again promising without words that he would be back soon, before he finally walked out. Once he was gone, Joshua exhaled shakily as he sat down on the loveseat with Suna, hoping Neku would hold true to that promise.

X*X(With Neku)X*X

The redhead joined the small army of Angels, and when he did, he was surprised to see Rhyme there among them. She was quite young for an Angel, but VERY perceptive and strong in combat. It seemed she had her own bow and arrow, just like Trinity did. She smiled at him in silent greeting before returning her attention to the gates to Hell, where Orochi would be emerging from. There was obviously some sort of fight going on from the other side, and one could only assume it was Cerberus attempting to keep the serpent at bay.

"Keep on your guard, my Angels," Trinity told them firmly. "Cerberus can't hold out for much longer. Lucifer will soon give him the command to let Orochi by, and when he does, it will be our turn to fight the beast and vanquish it."

Neku exhaled slowly, resting his hands on the katana he carried. Gabriel was further down the line, adjusting his grip on the naginata he carried, breathing calm and even.

Suddenly, the sounds of fighting ceased, and the gates to Hell opened, allowing the gigantic, eight-headed serpent to burst forth towards the Angels with all eight heads roaring furiously.

"Be careful, everyone! Now fight!" Trinity ordered, and she swiftly drew back the string on her bow, an arrow already in place, and fired it at Orochi, striking its mountain-like body. Orochi roared deafeningly loud at the blow from the holy arrow, and then attempted to swat her down with one of its tails. As it swung down, she darted away with a swift flap of her wings.

In the meantime, Neku was busy fighting one of the heads alongside Gabriel and Rhyme. The redhead jumped back as the head snapped at him, only for Gabriel to swipe the curved blade of the naginata across the beast's jaw. This made the head back up with a roar, which doubled in intensity as Rhyme managed to hit its eye with a well-aimed arrow. Half-blind as it now was, it didn't see Neku moving around to its other side, gripping the katana in both hands.

And then, with a quiet exhalation, he snapped the katana from the sheath with a metallic chime, followed by the whistle of the wind streaming along the blade, before it struck the beast's neck. The seven remaining heads bellowed in agony as the damaged head was sliced off its neck. One of the heads shot at Neku in retaliation, flames dripping from its jaws.

"Oh snap!" Neku hissed as he jumped and swiftly took to the sky to avoid the beast's jaws.

Before it could chase him, though, Gabriel thrust his weapon into its jaw. And as it pulled away to escape the pain, Gabriel shifted the angle just so that the head basically ripped its own jaw open. The other six heads roared with rage and pain at having lost another of their heads, and even as the others fought them, one broke free and lunged at Gabriel, far too quickly to be stopped soon enough.

Gabriel screamed as the beast's jaw snapped shut on his arm, trying to at least wrench his weapon loose, but it was caught between the monster's teeth.

"Gabe!" Neku and Rhyme called out at the same time, before Rhyme cocked another arrow and let it fly.

This head, however, kept its eye shut, which made the arrow bounce off of its hardened scales harmlessly.

Neku cursed angrily, looking to the side without turning his head. If Orochi was as smart as he figured it to be, then it would be counting on him to run in to save his friend. And while he was confident in his own skills, it was still a matter of the beast having it out for both himself and Gabriel.

However, when Gabriel let out another scream of agony, Neku cursed. '…dammit! I don't have the time to worry about this!'

Neku shook his head as the Orochi threw its head back and forth, as if it was trying to rip off Gabriel's arm, taking only a brief moment to breathe and consider what he was about to do, before he dive-bombed on the head, well aware of the other head that followed after him.

'Please let this work!'

And then he buried the katana in beast's gums, directly above where Gabriel was held. The head holding Gabriel immediately released the Angel with a shriek, while the other head that had been pursuing Neku fell for the redhead's trick and chomped down on its fellow head. Rhyme, meanwhile, quickly caught Gabriel as he fell, and flew off to the infirmary, knowing he would need treatment. Sanae soon joined Neku, and nodded to him.

"There's still six heads, even it one attacked another on accident," he warned. "Gabriel's a fighter, so he should be fine. Keep your guard up, though, Neku!" That's when the same two heads in the earlier attack lunged, but one of Trinity's holy arrows struck the closer one and destroyed it with its holy power. The Angel herself flew over, and smashed the other over the head with her bow, stunning it.

"This thing doesn't know when to quit, does it?" Neku snarled angrily.

"Unfortunately, no. He'll keep going until he's dead," Trinity answered. "Now, decapitate this one while it's stunned!"

Neku nodded swiftly, briefly sheathing the katana again, and then he used a second quick-draw slash to slice through the beast's neck.

"Good work, Neku," Trinity praised. "You're making good use of my katana. Now, let's finish off the remaining four!" By this point, the Angels' numbers had been reduced by over half, leaving them with eight Angels left to fight the remaining heads, seeing as the others had been injured too badly to continue fighting.

"DIE, FOOLS!" one of them roared, letting loose a stream of flames from its gaping maw.

"Yipe!" Neku took to the sky to avoid the flames. "Fuckin'…!" The head that shot the flames pursued him, however, at least until Sanae's scythe sliced into its nose, drawing an agonized shriek from it.

"Neku, finish it! My scythe isn't strong enough to completely slice through it!" the Angel ordered. Neku merely nodded as he flew in and effortlessly cut through its neck yet again. Now there were only two heads remaining, as the other group had managed to decapitate another.

"Let's finish off this beast!" Trinity declared, and the reduced army split into two groups to fight. As they fought, Trinity shot arrow after arrow at Orochi's heads, managing to strike both heads' eyes and blind the serpent.

As the other Angels kept the head busy, Neku moved in swiftly and made to slice the head off. However, just as he came in range, the beast snapped its head to the side to get away from the other Angels. Neku couldn't back entirely and one of the beast's fangs sliced through his arm, right through his armor.

"GYAAH!" the redhead howled, trying to cover the wound without letting go of his weapon. Thankfully, it wasn't his dominant arm that got hit, so that he could still wield the weapon.

So, after taking a deep breath in preparation, he went for it again. And this time the blade bit into the beast's neck, and then through it.

Finally, the seventh head was gone, so Trinity summoned up more of her immense power before transferring it into her last arrow. She fired the arrow after taking a split second to aim at the last head, and it dissolved from the holy power of the arrow. Finally, Orochi was dead. Trinity quickly went to Neku's side as he clutched at his wound.

"Neku, this needs to be tended to, now. Sanae will take you to the infirmary, and I'll get Joshua so he can see you," she told him.

"I-I'll be fine…!" Neku hissed out. He just KNEW that Joshua was going to worry if he had to meet him at the infirmary. "I just…just need to get this wrapped up and I'll—"

"Neku, I understand that you're afraid of Joshua worrying about you," Trinity said, cutting him off. "But you DO need to get this properly tended to. I don't think it would be good to let it become infected, hmm? I feel that would make Joshua worry more."

"But…" Neku started to say.

"No buts, Neku. I'll do my best to soothe him, okay?" she smiled, but her tone left no room for argument.

"…yes, Lady Trinity…" Neku finally conceded.

"Thank you. Sanae, please take him to the infirmary. I'm sure Gabriel will be relieved to see him, too," she told the dark-haired Angel beside her.

"I'm sure he will," he chuckled, and led Neku off to the infirmary as Trinity headed to the redhead's home to retrieve Joshua. When she arrived, she knocked on the door to announce her presence, and the silverette was quick to answer, Suna in his arms.

"Lady Trinity!" he gasped, and dipped his head respectfully. "Is Neku okay?"

"Yes, my dear, he is. He only obtained a wound to his arm, which I'm having him get treated properly at the infirmary," she told him. "Would you like to see him?"

"Of course!" he nodded eagerly, and set Suna in the house so he wouldn't be in the way at the infirmary

"Then let us proceed," she said, and the pair headed to the infirmary by foot, since it wasn't too far. As soon as Joshua spotted the redhead, he ran to him.

"Neku!" he whimpered as he hugged his lover. "Are you okay?"

"Josh, I'm fine, really," Neku assured him as he wrapped his good arm around the boy, trying not to do too much. "It's just a scratch."

"I know, but I couldn't help it… I was worried about you…" the smaller teen mumbled, eyeing the bandage covering most of Neku's injured arm.

Neku sighed softly. He knew this was going to happen… that's why he didn't want to come to the infirmary. Or at least, didn't want to stay for long.

"I know, and I'm sorry," he murmured, moving over and kissing Joshua to his forehead. The silverette nodded, and looked at Trinity.

"Would he be okay to come home now?" he asked her.

"As long as he rests for a few days, he can go home. Nothing strenuous, Neku, understand?" she answered, and gave the redhead a stern look.

"I won't," Neku promised with a nod. After a moment, though… "Joshua…" When he had the boy's attention, he asked, "Where's Suna?"

"I left him at home just in case," Joshua replied. "I'm sure he's eager to see you're okay, too."

"…" Neku looked at Joshua for a moment longer, before asking, "Did you actually lock the door?"

Before Joshua could answer, there was a familiar yipping from the entryway. Joshua looked over just in time to see Suna as the kit jumped into his arms.

"You're such a silly boy," Joshua laughed lightly, petting his ears, and then he turned to Neku. "See? Neku's okay." Suna yipped and leaned forward to lick Neku's cheek.

Neku chuckled softly as he reached over and petted the small kit. "Hey lil guy."

Suna sniffed his bandage covering his injured arm, before whining when he realized Neku was hurt.

"I know, but he'll be okay," Joshua assured Suna as he held him close. "Ready to go home, Neku?"

"More than," Neku said with a nod, getting up from where he had been sitting. Joshua smiled, and the pair headed out for home, taking their time and going at a leisurely pace. Once they got there, the front door was swinging in the light breeze, evidence of Suna's escape.

"We're gonna have to do something about that…" Neku mumbled softly.

"Yeah, unless we want him escaping every time we go out," Joshua agreed, tapping Suna on the nose teasingly. The kit blinked, and then yipped at Joshua. "Well, we can't have so many breakouts happening, now can we?"

"Yeah, well try to imagine how difficult it was to hide him from you…" Neku mumbled as they walked inside.

"I'll bet," the silverette chuckled, setting Suna down once the door was closed. "So, how did you hurt your arm, anyway?"

"Being stupid and unlucky mostly…" Neku sighed. "Was trying to chop off the bastard's…seventh, was it? Yeah, seventh head…and the fucker's fang clipped me."

"Did they at least give you something to help with the pain? I would think that would be pretty painful," Joshua inquired.

"It's fine," Neku sighed. "I just need to rest my arm, that's all… Gabe got the worst end of the deal, though…"

"What happened? Is he okay?"

"He was less lucky… One of the heads chomped down on his arm. Almost ripped it right off…"

"Is he going to be okay?" Joshua asked worriedly.

"Last I checked, he would… but he's not getting up anytime soon…"

"Not too surprising…"

Neku sighed softly as he settled on the couch. "Man… I'm glad that's over…"

"You're telling me," the smaller teen murmured as he joined him, settling himself on Neku's uninjured side.

"…we do have one problem, though…" Neku mumbled softly after a moment.

"What's that?"

"I can't really cook with just one arm…"

"That's all? I can cook something!" Joshua laughed, kissing Neku briefly.

"You sure you'll manage?" the redhead asked.

"You underestimate me," the silverette smirked.

"…Okay… if you're sure," Neku mumbled with a shrug.

"I am. Don't doubt me, okay? My mom taught me some stuff before she passed away, ya know," the smaller teen smiled.

"Alright," Neku chuckled softly. Joshua decided to make something for food now, instead of waiting until later, so he stood, kissing Neku again.

"I'm going to make something special for us. It's something my mom would only make for special occasions," he told the redhead.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Chicken parmesan with a side of pasta."

"Can't say I've heard of that before…"

"It's an Italian dish of breaded chicken, and it's usually served with a side of fettuccine pasta in sauce," Joshua explained.

"Huh…okay…interesting…"

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

After they ate, Joshua looked over at Neku, smiling tiredly.

"What did you think?" he asked.

"It was good," Neku complimented with a small smile at the silverette.

"Good," the smaller teen hummed. "We'll clean up tomorrow, but for now, let's go to bed. I don't know about you, but I'm tired…"

"You're telling me…" Neku mumbled, briefly stretching his good arm. "My muscles are gonna be so sore when I wake up tomorrow…"

"I won't blame you for sleeping in, then," Joshua chuckled, and got to his feet. Once standing, he helped Neku up, and then the pair headed to bed, Suna trailing after them and lying down on his blanket in the corner. Joshua helped Neku to undress and slide on a pair of pajama bottoms before doing the same for himself, not even bothering with his shirt this time. When they got comfortable in the bed, Joshua carefully cuddled close to Neku, being mindful of his injured arm.

"Goodnight, Neku. I love you," he whispered.

"Love you, too, Josh… g'night…" Neku murmured softly. And with that, the pair fell asleep peacefully.

X*X(1 Week Later)X*X

An entire week had passed since the fight against Orochi, and Neku's arm had completely healed by now, thanks to the accelerated healing ability of the Angels. As for Gabriel, he needed to keep his arm in a sling to promote a healthy recovery. Joshua's wings had finally emerged a few days prior, which made him happy. He had depended on Neku for so long, and now he hopefully would be a little less so. This didn't mean he wanted to leave the redhead, though. Far from it. He wanted to have an intimate evening with his lover, and he hoped they could tonight.

Joshua approached Neku from behind as the redhead cooked their dinner that night, seeing as they had come to taking turns since Neku had healed. He hugged his lover around his waist, resting his chin on Neku's shoulder.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Hm?" Neku glanced over his shoulder for a moment. "Something wrong?"

"Not at all," the silverette smiled. "Just wondering what you're making."

"Just some spaghetti," Neku said with a small shrug. "Figured we'd do simple for once."

"Fine by me, but something else sounds better," Joshua purred.

"Later, Joshua," Neku chuckled. "We should eat first, a'ight?"

"Can't blame me for trying," the smaller teen replied, pulling away with a pout. The older Angel merely chuckled as he focused back on his cooking. Suna came into the kitchen then, stopping in front of Joshua with a yip. "All right, I'll get you your dinner," Joshua chuckled. He then fixed up a bowl of dried crickets and some eggs for Suna, and set it in front of the kit, making him yip happily before eating.

Neku allowed a smile as he finished cooking and fixed two plates. "Right. Food's done."

"Thanks," Joshua told his lover as he accepted the offered plate. They ate in a comfortable quiet, and when they finished, Neku offered to clean up. The silverette took him up on his offer, and hurried off to the bedroom. While the redhead cleaned, Joshua was quick to undress and get ready on the bed. After setting the last of the plates away, Neku briefly stretched and headed for the bedroom. When he came in, Joshua was stark naked, spread out on the bed for Neku to see every inch of him.

"Hello, Neku," he purred.

Neku blinked once, before he chuckled softly, a small smirk on his face as he walked over. "Really now, Joshua?"

"We haven't been intimate since Christmas and my birthday," the silverette pointed out, stretching lightly and making the muscles ripple slightly beneath his skin.

"Aren't we needy, hmm?" Neku purred as he settled over the silverette, letting his hands play along the bare skin.

"Well you can't blame me. Your cock feels amazing in my ass," Joshua smirked.

"Oh does it?" the redhead chuckled, before he moved in and locked their mouths together. Joshua immediately kissed back, allowing a pleased hum from himself into the kiss.

After pulling away from the kiss, Neku immediately latched on to the shorter teen's neck, kissing, nibbling and biting gently at the tender skin. And all the while, his hands moved up and down Joshua's sides. The silverette shivered at the caresses to his sides, moaning softly as Neku teased his neck. After leaving a particularly prominent hickey on Joshua's neck, Neku slowly began to move his way down his chest.

Joshua whined quietly as Neku moved down his chest, and buried his fingers in the spiky locks of his lover, wordlessly encouraging him further down. The redhead hummed as the fingers in his hair urged him further along, all while slipping his own further down. As he moved along the silverette's thigh and toward his need, though, he paused.

"Oh?" he murmured with a small smirk as he sat back. "Been busy, hmm?"

"You were taking a while, and I got bored," Joshua smirked.

"You little minx…" Neku chuckled softly, as his fingers played with the twitching muscle. Joshua shivered at the feeling, kissing Neku lovingly before nipping at his bottom lip teasingly. Neku chuckled softly, before he firmly locked their mouths together and, at the same time, wrapped his hand around his lover's cock. Joshua gasped into Neku's mouth when his cock was grabbed, giving a strained groan.

This was exactly what Neku was aiming for, and he slipped his tongue into Joshua's mouth, swirling it around sensually while he moved his hand smoothly. The smaller male moaned into Neku's mouth as the redhead tasted him, pulling his lover closer by wrapping his arms around Neku's neck. This made the redhead chuckle softly into the other's mouth, as his free hand worked on his own clothes. Joshua swirled his tongue along Neku's as they continued to kiss.

Once he had managed to deal with his own clothes, Neku briefly pulled away. "Ready?"

"Been ready for that amazing cock of yours," Joshua purred at him with a smirk. Neku merely smirked right back, and then, without another word said, he moved. The silverette parted his lips in a silent cry, a small gasp escaping him at the familiar filling sensation. Neku didn't say anything; he merely held still for a moment, breathing deeply in an attempt to not start moving immediately.

After a few seconds of this, Joshua swiftly wrapped his legs around Neku's waist before moaning out, "Move, Neku...!" Neku hissed briefly at the pressure, before he gave a shaky nod and braced himself on his arms. After one more breath, he began to move slowly.

Joshua moved his hips in time with Neku's, but soon, he wanted more. "N-Neku, I'm not going to b-break… Go f-faster…" he stuttered, bucking his hips with the intent of spurring his lover into going faster.

The redhead allowed a small smirk at those words. "Suit yourself…" he purred, and then he picked up speed. The silverette had a pleasured look on his face as he moaned and mewled with every thrust from the redhead above him.

With a soft, labored chuckle rolling from his throat, Neku reached out and began to stroke Joshua's need in time with his thrusts as he adjusted his angle just so. The smaller teen cried out in ecstasy from Neku's touch to his member and the sudden contact with his prostate by the redhead's amazingly wonderful cock inside of him.

And Neku only chuckled at the sounds, before he curled his arm around the silverette's shoulders, and then threw his weight back, pulling Joshua up from the bed and into his lap, locking their mouths together once again. And all throughout, he never stopped moving.

Joshua moaned loudly into Neku's mouth as they kissed, unable to help himself. Neku was amazing, and his desire for the redhead would never cease to amaze him. He couldn't help but love Neku, especially since Neku cared so dearly about him.

The silverette broke away with another cry as his prostate was struck repeatedly. A groan escaped Neku as Joshua tightened around him further, before he smirked and moved over, nipping on Joshua's ear. "Let go, Yoshiya," he purred softly. "Now come… come for me, Yoshiya."

"Oh gods… N…NEKU!" Joshua screamed as his cum spattered onto the redhead's stomach. He clenched around Neku tightly as he came. Neku hissed sharply, before he choked on a cry as his own release hit him. Joshua's arms trembled as he held himself up, his hands bracing himself on Neku's shoulders. When Neku came inside of him, however, he shuddered heavily before collapsing onto his lover's chest.

The redhead easily held Joshua up, smirking softly, before he laid them both down gently. The smaller teen slowly curled up against Neku once they were lying on their sides facing each other.

"I love you, Neku," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

Neku smiled softly, running a hand through the shorter male's hair. "Love you, too," he murmured, kissing him briefly. "Go to sleep… you look like you'll need it."

"Mkay… G'night, Neku," Joshua breathed, cuddling close to who was once his Guardian Angel, but was now his lover, forever.


End file.
